Five held for bid to extort donation for Ganesh festival
Pune: Pune Police have arrested five persons for allegedly beating a shopkeeper and his mother in Wakad area for refusing to pay a donation for Ganpati festival, days after video of the incident became viral on social media.
A Wakad police station officer said on Wednesday that a case has been registered against seven persons under section 307 (Attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and five of them were arrested two days back.
An undated video of the incident shows some members of a Ganapati pandal in Wakad demanding donation from a grocer, identified as Ramesh Choudhari.
"When Choudhary refused to pay, he and his mother were thrashed by the donation-seekers," the police officer added.
The annual Ganesh festival, which started on September 2, will conclude on September 12.
