THANE: A 23-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly molesting and extorting Rs 50,000 from a 15-year-old schoolgirl over six months in Thane city, police said on Wednesday.
Accused Prathamesh Desai, a resident of Lokmanya Nagar, was taken into custody following a complaint by the girl's parents on March 1.
A police official from the Vartak Nagar police station said Desai targeted the teenager between September 2025 and February 2026.
"On multiple occasions, he took her to isolated locations and molested her," the official said, citing the FIR.
The accused threatened to inform the girl's parents about their purported "relationship" and extracted a total of Rs 50,000 from her, he said.
"Unable to bear the persistent threats and financial demands, the girl finally confided in her parents, who approached the police," the official said.
Desai has been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, he said, adding that further investigation was underway.