Marathi singer Anand Prahlad Shinde has reported an alleged extortion attempt by a woman and her family, who threatened to falsely accuse him of sexual exploitation, prompting a police investigation.
A case has been registered after Marathi singer Anand Prahlad Shinde alleged that a woman, her brother, and her mother extorted money from him by threatening to frame him in a fake sexual exploitation case, police said on Sunday.
The case has been handed over to the Thane Crime Branch, an official said.
"The 64-year-old singer stated that the alleged extortion and harassment had been going on since December 2023," a police official said, quoting the singer's complaint.
As per Shinde's complaint submitted to the Manpada police station in Dombivali, a woman and her mother first met him at his residence, requesting an opportunity to perform as a dancer in his musical shows. Subsequently, the woman met the singer during various singing and dancing events.
The official said the woman, her mother and her brother later filed a complaint in Pune, falsely accusing the singer of sexual exploitation.
The trio then approached Shinde and demanded a flat in Pune along with Rs 50 lakh in cash to withdraw the complaint. During subsequent settlement meetings in Pune, the accused brought down the figure to Rs 25 lakh, the official said.
"The accused accepted Rs 1 lakh as an advance extortion payment on May 20, 2026, and aggressively demanded the remaining balance of Rs 24 lakh on May 22," the official added, quoting the FIR.
An extortion case was registered against the accused on Saturday, said an official from Manpada police station. "The investigation has been transferred to the Anti-Extortion Cell of the Thane City Crime Branch," he added.