Navratri mandal secretary in Thane booked for extortion bid

Thane, Oct 11 (PTI) Police have registered a case against the secretary of a Navratri mandal in Maharashtra’s Thane city for allegedly forcing a person to donate money for the upcoming festival celebration, an official said on Wednesday.

The nine-day Navratri festival will begin on October 15.

On October 7, a contractor was taking his car inside a building in Wagle Estate area when the accused approached him and asked why he was not giving donation for the festival celebration, the official from Wagle Estate police station said.

The accused allegedly threatened the man with dire consequences if he did not pay the money, he said.

Based on the man’s complaint, the police on Monday registered a case against the accused under Indian Penal Code sections 384 (extortion), 385 (putting person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion), 506(2) (criminal intimidation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 427(whoever commits mischief and thereby causes loss or damage), the official said.