Four booked for extortion bid in Thane district

Thane, Nov 25 (PTI) Four persons allegedly posed as journalists and attempted to extort Rs 2 lakh from a tempo driver and his family in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Monday.

The police have apprehended one of the suspects, and a search is on for three others, including a woman, in connection with the incident that took place in Ulhasnagar town on November 22, an official said.

Based on a complaint, the police have registered a case against the accused under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to extortion, criminal trespass, and criminal intimidation, he said.

The official said the accused allegedly waylaid a tempo in Ulhasnagar Camp No 4 in the early hours of November 22 and posing as journalists, they accused the driver of transporting illegal gutka and threatened to publish a report if he failed to give them Rs 2 lakh.

When the driver resisted, the accused allegedly reached his house, assaulted his family and reiterated their demand, he said.

The accused, Chandrabushan Vishwakarma (35), Sudham Kharkhar (50) and Abishek Shigwan (32), are residents of Thane, and one Minal Pawar (45) is from Dombivili, the official said, adding that a probe is underway. PTI COR ARU