‘Social worker’ among 2 arrested for extorting Rs 50,000 from Thane businessman

Thane, Sep 9 (PTI) Police have arrested two men, one of them claiming to be a social worker, for allegedly extorting Rs 50,000 from a businessman in Thane city last week following a series of threatening phone calls to him, an official said on Monday.

The individuals arrested on Sunday were identified by the police as Kaduba Mahadu Telure (60) from Kalwa and Vishal alias Balasaheb Sahebrao Bhosale (40), a “social worker” from Kopri Colony in the city.

The police seized valuables worth Rs 1,80,030 from the duo, the official said without elaborating.

According to the official at the Kopri police station, Bhosale has been extorting money from the businessman, who runs a sweet shop, since 2019 under the pretext of donations.

Between September 6 and 8, Bhosale made several threatening phone calls to the businessman, demanding Rs 50,000 and warning of violence if the amount was not paid, he said.

He also claimed to control criminal gangs operating in Thane district, the police said.

The businessman reported the threats to senior police inspector Ranjit Dere. In response, a special police team was formed and it successfully conducted an operation, leading to the arrest of Telure while he was accepting the extortion money on behalf of Bhosale, said the official.

Later, Bhosale was also apprehended.