Thane: Rickshaw driver vandalises petrol pump, tries to extort money

A 26-year-old autorickshaw driver was arrested for allegedly vandalising a petrol pump and trying to extort money from its staff at Kalyan in Thane district of Maharashtra, police said Tuesday.

The accused, Rakesh Kolgaonkar, was arrested in the wee hours of Monday when the incident took place, Thane police spokesperson Sukhada Narkar said. "The accused took his rickshaw to the pump at around 11.30 pm on Sunday and requested the employees to fill CNG in his vehicle. However, the staff members told him that there was no CNG available," she said.

"Thereafter, he asked them to fill petrol. But they told him that since the facility was shut, they cannot do so. Angered by their reply, he demanded money from them by issuing threats. However, he was turned away by them," Narkar said. Kolgaonkar left in a huff, but returned an hour later with a sickle in hand. Thereafter, he went on a rampage and damaged the property of the petrol pump, she said.

A police patrol van, which was passing by, arrived at the spot. The policemen immediately caught the accused and later placed him under arrest. Kolgaonkar has been booked under IPC sections 384 (extortion), 427 (mischief causing damage), relavant sections of the Arms Act, and others. An offence was registered against him at Bazarpeth police station in Kalyan

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