K'taka Hindu Mahasabha chief arrested for threatening industrialist

The Karnataka Police have arrested the Hindu Mahasabha state president, Rajesh Pavithran on charges of threatening an industrialist and attempting to extort money from him, police said on Thursday.

According to police, the accused had threatened the industrialist that he would make his private information public on social media. Following the complaint, the Surathkal police arrested the accused.

Police said that industrialist Suresh, who lives in Kavoor, was considering partnering a business with the accused Rajesh Pavithran. However, Suresh had backtracked after growing suspicious about his (Pavithran) activities.

The accused was angered by this and forcefully took away his laptop. Pavithran allegedly demanded extortion money and gold. He had also threatened that he would "cut his limbs off if he failed to give him money," said the police.

The accused had threatened that he would put all his private information on the laptop in the public domain. Suresh then lodged a case with the police.