Two Men Arrested for Extortion of Businessman in Thane

Two men, one posing as a social worker, were arrested in Thane for extorting Rs 50,000 from a businessman through a series of threatening phone calls. The police identified the suspects and seized valuables worth Rs 1,80,030. The extortion activities had been ongoing since 2019.

Police in Thane have detained two men, one of them claiming to be a social worker, for allegedly extorting Rs 50,000 from a local businessman. This arrest follows numerous threatening phone calls made to the victim last week, a police official reported on Monday.

The suspects, identified as Kaduba Mahadu Telure (60) from Kalwa and Vishal alias Balasaheb Sahebrao Bhosale (40) from Kopri Colony, were taken into custody on Sunday. Authorities confiscated valuables worth Rs 1,80,030 from the duo, though further details were not disclosed.

According to the official at the Kopri police station, Bhosale has been pressuring the businessman, who owns a sweet shop, for money under the guise of donations since 2019. Between September 6 and 8, Bhosale escalated his tactics, making several menacing calls demanding Rs 50,000 and threatening violence. Claiming ties with local criminal gangs, Bhosale's intimidation led the businessman to alert senior police inspector Ranjit Dere.

In response, a special police team was formed, successfully intercepting Telure as he collected the extortion money on behalf of Bhosale. Subsequent investigations led to Bhosale's capture, effectively ending their extortion scheme.