Thane: Police have registered a case against five members of a poll flying squad, including two constables, for allegedly extorting Rs 85,000 from a flower merchant after threatening him in Maharashtra's Thane district, an official said on Sunday.
The incident took place on October 18 at Mharal Naka here. The accused violated the model code of conduct, in place for the November 20 state assembly polls, stated the FIR.
The flower businessman and his friend were on their way to Ahmednagar and Pune in a car and carrying Rs 7.5 lakh for making payments to farmers for purchases made during the Dussehra festival, the official from Ulhasnagar police station said.
The accused intercepted the car when it was proceeding towards Murbad and threatened the duo that their money would be seized and a case would be registered against them. They allegedly extorted Rs 85,000 from the flower merchant, the official said.
The accused did not inform their seniors about the money found with the flower businessman, and also did not follow the set procedure for the raid and seizure, he said.
After the probe and a complaint by a poll official, the Ulhasnagar police on Saturday registered a case against the five accused under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 308(2) (extortion), 198 (public servant disobeying law, with intent to cause injury to any person), 134 (assault or criminal force in attempt to commit theft of property carried by a person) and 3(5) (criminal act done by several persons in furtherance of the common intention of all), he said.
