Thane, Nov 9 (PTI) A case has been registered against a digital media operator for allegedly extorting money from several bar owners in Dombivli town of Maharashtra’s Thane district by threatening to circulate fake and defamatory news about their establishments on social media, police said on Monday.
The accused, Yogesh Bhanushali, allegedly threatened to broadcast fabricated reports, such as claims of late-night obscene dancing, unless bar owners paid him hush money to delete the posts, they said.
Based on a complaint lodged by a bar manager, the Manpada police have registered a case against Bhanushali under sections 308(2), 308(3) (extortion), and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), an official said.
The complainant has alleged that on October 26, 2026, he received a WhatsApp message containing a defamatory news link regarding his establishment, and when he contacted the associated parties, Bhanushali demanded Rs 50,000 to delete the news item. He eventually took Rs 25,000 in cash.
A probe found that the accused had similarly targeted multiple other establishments in the town, coercing owners into paying thousands of rupees to suppress negative digital coverage, the official said, adding that no arrest has been made in the case. PTI COR ARU
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