E-Paper
3 booked for ₹40 lakh extortion call to Zirakpur bizman
Tanish Bhatt, who runs two cafes in Panchkula, said that earlier on March 19, he had received a WhatsApp call from an international number threatening him against going to the cafe.
Three months after a Zirakpur-based businessman alleged that he was waylaid by two unidentified bikers and threatened at gunpoint, police booked unidentified persons. Complainant, Tanish Bhatt alias Mohammad Niwaz Sharif Bhatt of Zirakpur, told police that the men had sought ₹40 lakh extortion.
Bhatt, who runs two cafes in Panchkula, said that earlier on March 19, he had received a WhatsApp call from an international number threatening him against going to the cafe.
“The caller told me to stop going to my café if I wanted to avoid dire consequences. Later, two motorcyclists blocked my way and again asked me to stay away from the cafe and sought ₹ 40 lakh extortion at gunpoint,” the complainant said.
Police probing Bishnoi angle
According to sources, the complainant told police that the caller had introduced himself as Sachin Bishnoi, a relative of dreaded gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Notably, Sachin was allegedly involved in conspiring the murder of slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala last year.
“We are looking into the matter and have booked unidentified persons for now. We are still verifying the allegations about Bishnoi gang being behind the extortion and threat calls,” a senior police officer said.
Police so far have not got any CCTV footage on the bikers who stopped the complainant at gunpoint.
Police have booked three persons -- a caller and two motorcyclists --under Sections 384 (extortion), 341 (wrongful restraint), 511 (attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant Sections of the IT Act at Zirakpur police station.
The probe was initially conducted by Zirakpur station house officer following which the case was registered on the directions of Mohali senior superintendent of police (SSP) on the basis of the report submitted by the former.
