Extortionist vandalizes shop

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

A miscreant who demanded Rs 20,000 per month as extortion broke into a chicken shop, stole cash from the register, and vandalized the store when his demand was ignored. A case has been registered at Waluj MIDC police station recently.

Shivam Bilghe, the owner of Jai Maharashtra Chicken Center near Mohatadevi Temple, had received a threat from Prakshik Pathare, a local extortionist known for collecting money from vendors in the area. On February 1, Pathare warned Bilghe to pay up or face consequences.

After closing his shop on February 26, Bilghe went home, only to receive a call the next morning informing him that his store had been ransacked. Rushing to the spot, he found the shutter lock broken, Rs 12,000 missing from the cash register, and the CCTV camera stolen.

Fear of Pathare’s influence delayed Bilghe’s police complaint, but authorities have now registered a case. PI Rameshwar Gade and API Manoj Shinde are overseeing the investigation, while PSI Pravin Patharkar leads the probe. Meanwhile, Pathare has gone into hiding, and police teams are actively tracking him down.