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Three Maharashtra Security Force (MSF) personnel assigned to the Highway Security Police’s Khandala unit were booked and taken into custody over an allegation that they extorted ₹1,000 from a tourist, according to a Hindustan Times report published October 3, 2026. Police say the accused allegedly threatened to cancel the tourist’s driving licence and seize his motorcycle.

What allegedly happened near the Khandala exit?

The complaint places the alleged incident at about 10:30 a.m. on October 1, 2026, near the Khandala exit. The complainant, Vikramsingh Motisingh Raghuvanshi, 32, was travelling toward Khandala with his wife on a Royal Enfield Bullet. Hindustan Times described him as a teacher from Kalyan who was originally from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

According to the complaint, the three accused stopped the couple and claimed they had violated restrictions on the route. The report does not establish that a general motorcycle restriction applied there; it reports that the accused allegedly made that claim.

Who are the accused, and what are they alleged to have demanded?

Hindustan Times identified the accused as Nilesh Ashok Salunkhe, Rohidas Badam Patil and Rajesh Suryakant Kendre, describing them as MSF personnel deployed with the Highway Security Police’s Khandala unit.

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Lonavla City Police Station senior inspector Sachin Patil told the newspaper that the accused allegedly said the motorcycle was not allowed on that stretch and demanded a ₹6,000 fine. They allegedly threatened to cancel Raghuvanshi’s driving licence and seize the motorcycle, then forced him to pay ₹1,000 online through a QR code. The alleged ₹6,000 demand and the reported ₹1,000 payment are separate amounts.

How did the police respond?

Raghuvanshi reportedly contacted Dial 112. Police reached the location and detained the three accused. Hindustan Times reported that a case was registered under sections 126(2), 308(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

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What is the reported status of the case?

The October 3 report says the three personnel were booked and taken into custody. It does not establish whether they remained in custody, whether the investigation later advanced, or whether a court made any finding. The allegations have not been presented as a conviction or final determination of guilt. The report includes no response from the accused or MSF.

These details come from Hindustan Times’ account of the complaint and comments by a named police official, rather than an official police document or court record: Hindustan Times report, October 3, 2026.

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