Maha: Senior citizen held for extorting money from builder in Thane

He then sought Rs 10 lakh and threatened to stop the construction work, he said.The police also carried out searches on the premises of the accused and seized Rs 4 lakh cash and some RTI applications, the official said, adding that further probe is underway.

A 72-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly extorting over Rs 3 lakh from a builder in Maharashtra's Thane city, police said on Saturday.

Based on a complaint, the city police's anti-extortion cell (AEC) caught the accused Mukesh Bechardas Kanakiya while accepting Rs 3.11 lakh on Thursday evening, senior inspector Maloji Shinde of the AEC said. The complainant Kantilal Bouva had got a contract for redeveloping a housing society. The accused, who claims to be an RI activist, had obtained information from the civic authorities about the redevelopment work and made applications stating that the construction was illegal, the official said.

The accused then allegedly demanded Rs 5 lakh from the complainant to withdraw the applications and after due negotiations, settled for Rs 3.6 lakh. He then sought Rs 10 lakh and threatened to stop the construction work, he said.

The police also carried out searches on the premises of the accused and seized Rs 4 lakh cash and some RTI applications, the official said, adding that further probe is underway.

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