Chandigarh builder threatened for ₹10-crore extortion; 2 of Tarn Taran nabbed

Firearm, two cartridges, and phone used to make extortion calls seized; one of the arrested men was involved in the unauthorised supply of SIM cards to criminals, while the other came into contact with gangsters during his past incarceration

Two men have been arrested for allegedly threatening a Sector 19 builder in an attempt to extort ₹10 crore, police said on Friday. The accused, who are suspected of being associated with an overseas-based gangster, were also planning to steal a motorcycle and open fire to intimidate the victim, officials said. A country-made pistol and two live cartridges have been recovered from them.

Police officials will seek two more days of custody for Bunty to arrest the co-accused.

The accused have been identified as Arndeep Singh (30) and Bunty (20), both residents of Tarn Taran district. They were arrested near the Hockey Stadium parking lot in Sector 18 on October 19. Investigators said the duo has not yet disclosed the name of the gangster.

In his police complaint, the builder alleged that he received a voice message demanding extortion money, following which officials formed a team to track the suspects. “Through coordinated efforts and persistent surveillance, the team successfully apprehended both suspects. An FIR has been registered under Section 308 (extortion) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant sections of the Arms Act at the Sector 19 police station,” officials said.

During the investigation, it was revealed that Arndeep was involved in the unauthorised activation and supply of SIM cards. He allegedly obtained identity documents, personal details and photographs of individuals seeking SIM-related services and generated SIM cards that were subsequently supplied to his associates to make extortion threats. The investigation also revealed that Bunty got in touch with gangsters during a previous stint in jail. Communication was allegedly carried out through Snapchat and other digital applications, police said.

The probe further suggested that the accused were instructed to contact the builder and demand ₹10 crore. When the builder did not answer their calls, a recorded threatening voice message was sent via an international number. During further investigation, police received information about the delivery of a weapon and the criminals’ intention to fire shots to scare the builder. “Swift action by the police team resulted in the apprehension of the accused before they could execute their plan. The recovery of the country-made pistol and two live cartridges was made based on information provided by Bunty,” officials said.

The police subsequently got three-day custody of the accused during which the SIM card as well as the mobile phone used for making threatening calls were recovered. “The co-accused are yet to be apprehended. Accordingly, two additional days of police custody for Bunty will be sought from the court to interrogate him regarding the roles of other conspirators and arrest the remaining accused,” officials added.