A 45-year-old man was arrested for trying to extort money from shopkeepers in South Mumbai while posing as a Shiv Sainik and a close aide of Sena President Uddhav Thackeray. The accused, identified as Padhmaraj Jagannath Shivalkar, a resident of Virar, approached Nita Sanjay Modi, the owner of Pesley Design Boutique at Bhulabhai Desai Road (Breach Candy). Shivalkar was using the name Santosh Shinde to extort his victims.

On Friday, Shivalkar approached Modi and introducing himself as Shinde, a Sena shakha pramukh and a corporator from the region told her that a team of Shiv Sainiks had decided to donate two ambulances for the region. He said Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray was to address a public meeting on March 10 and the vans would be given away on the occasion.