Businessman gets extortion threat

Gurugram: A businessman in Baliawas near Sector 58 has allegedly received a text message from an unidentified person, asking him to pay up ₹50 lakh as protection

Gurugram: A businessman in Baliawas near Sector 58 has allegedly received a text message from an unidentified person, asking him to pay up ₹50 lakh as protection money. The police on Wednesday said the suspect threatened to kill the businessman if he refused to pay the extortion money.

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According to the police, the victim received the message on January 8, but an FIR was registered on Monday night after the said text message was verified.

The businessman, who has farmland development business, requesting anonymity, said, “I was at a farm when I received the text message from an unidentified number. It read that I should pay ₹50 lakh or face dire consequences. It mentioned that the suspect was aware of my location.” He said that the suspect did not mention any name.

In the police complaint, the victim said that after reading the message, he felt scared and approached the police.

A police official privy to the investigation, requesting anonymity, said that the police were probing if the suspect had a criminal history.

“The preliminary probe suggests that the suspect could be a part of an organised gang, who often target businessmen to extort money. The FIR was registered after the ‘threat’ message was verified through technical investigation. The number used by the suspect is yet to be traced,” said the police official.

A case was registered against the unidentified suspect under sections 387 (putting person in fear of death or of grievous hurt in order to commit extortion), 506 (criminal intimidation), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of Indian Penal Code at DLF Phase 1 police station.