Dhantoli police foil extortion attempt, arrest one for knife threat

Nagpur: In a midnight crackdown, Dhantoli police arrested a local goon for attempting to extort Rs5,000 monthly from a 25-year-old youth. The accused had brandished a knife and issued death threats near a popular paan stall.

The incident unfolded at 10pm on October 19 when complainant Vijay Pullewar, a resident of Plot No. 52, Juni Ajni, Dhote Layout, was riding pillion with a friend on a motorcycle in Priyankawadi. Accused Praful Patil (30), a Priyankawadi resident, and Sandeep Verma from Belatrodi, waylaid the duo, frisked their pockets, hurled abuses, and demanded money.

Acting on Pullewar's complaint, PSI Bhagat registered a case under BNS for extortion, criminal intimidation, and criminal conspiracy. A special team fanned out immediately, nabbing Patil within hours. The hunt is on for Verma.

Senior officers hailed the arrest as a strong message against street-level extortion rackets.