Thane Crime: Secretary of Navratri mandal arrested for extortion

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Thane Police have registered a legal proceedings against the secretary of a Navratri mandal over allegations of forcing an individual into making a donation for the upcoming festival celebrations, as per an official statement on Wednesday.

The annual nine-day Navratri festival is scheduled to begin on October 15, this year.

On October 7, a contractor was attempting to enter a building within the Wagle Estate area in Thane, when the accused approached him, questioning his lack of contribution to the festival fund, stated a police official from the Wagle Estate police station.

"The accused resorted to threats, warning the man of severe repercussions if he failed to make the monetary contribution," the official added.

Following the victim's complaint, the police formally registered a case against the accused on Monday, citing relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.

The case has been booked under sections include 384 (extortion), 385 (instilling fear of harm to commit extortion), 506(2) (criminal intimidation), 504 (intentional insult with the intent to incite a breach of peace), and 427 (committing mischief resulting in loss or damage), as elucidated by the official.

Meanwhile, in another incident in Thane, the Thane police have arrested a man for allegedly strangulating his 25-year-old friend to death after a quarrel in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Wednesday.

The incident took place on the intervening night of Monday-Tuesday in Kolsewadi area of Kalyan town when the two friends, who used to collect scrap, were consuming liquor near a building, they said.

They had a quarrel following which the 28-year-old accused allegedly strangulated his friend with a wire rope, an official from Kolsewadi police station said.

(with inputs from PTI)