Two held for bid to extort ₹15 lakh from Thane school management

Thane: Two men were arrested by the Thane Crime Branch’s anti-extortion cell for allegedly extorting Rs 15 lakh from the management of a prominent Thane school after threatening to file repeated complaints with the Thane Municipal Corporation over alleged unauthorised construction on the premises, said police.The accused, Pramod Pardeshi alias Rajvir Rajput and Narayan Sharma, were caught red-handed while accepting Rs 15 lakh — a negotiated amount against their original demand of Rs 25 lakh. Police seized mobile phones, cash and business cards from their possession at the time of arrest, said a police officer.Police said the duo had been systematically harassing the school management over a period of time by filing multiple complaints with the TMC regarding alleged unauthorised construction on the premises.

The complaints were allegedly used as leverage to pressurise school authorities into paying the demanded sum, with threats of escalating civic action and further regulatory scrutiny if they refused to comply.Acting on a tip-off from the school management, the anti-extortion cell meticulously planned a trap and nabbed both accused red-handed at the time of the transaction. A case has been registered at Naupada police station for extortion under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita along with other relevant sections. Further investigation is underway.