Malayali novelist receives Rs 10 lakh extortion call; case registered

Thane: A man allegedly attempted to extort Rs 10 lakh from novelist Anand L Neelakantan by claiming that he had insulted the Valmiki community in one of his books, police said on Tuesday.

The police in Maharashtra's Thane city on Monday registered an offense under sections 384 (extortion) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code against one Ravindra Chowdhary, who identified himself as the chairman of the Vishwa Valmiki Samaj, an official said.

The 49-year-old novelist in his complaint claimed that he received a call from Chowdhary, who identified himself as the chairman of the Vishwa Valmiki Samaj, on the night of August 21, he said. The caller claimed that Neelakantan had insulted the Valmiki community in his book “Valmiki's Women: Five Tales of Ramayana”, and he proceeded to demand Rs 10 lakh to placate the community, the official said.

After negotiations, the caller settled for Rs. 2.5 lakh. The novelist then approached the police with a complaint, he said. A probe has been initiated but no arrests have been made in this regard so far, the official said.

Neelakantan has penned more than 13 books and is also a columnist, screenwriter, and public speaker. He is known for writing mythological fiction and has authored 12 books in English and one in Malayalam. 

PTI