Mumbai: A man has been arrested from the Ratnagiri district on the alleged charges of terrorising filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar and demanding Rs 35 crore as extortion money, police said here on Thursday.
The accused has been identified as Milind Tulaskar, who claimed to be associated with underworld gangster Abu Salem.
According to the police, the 'Vaastav' director had been receiving threat messages on WhatsApp from an unknown number. The sender demanded extortion money, with the threat of dire consequences on non-compliance.
Subsequently, Mr Manjrekar lodged a complaint at Dadar police station and also gave the sender's contact details. The reins of the probe were then taken up by the Anti Extortion Cell.
Acting on a tip-off and technical evidence, the accused was traced to and apprehended from Ratnagiri, police told, adding that he has been booked under relevant IPC sections.
After a background check of the accused, no links to the Salem gang were established, it apprised. (UNI)