Extortion at Ludhiana grain market: Five days on, no arrests made

12 persons were booked for allegedly extorting money in the name of user-charges from vendors at the grain market in Ludhiana

Around 12 people, including a local leader of the ruling party, mandi officials and the employees of a contractor, have been booked for allegedly extorting money in the name of user-charges from vendors at the grain market.

As elections are drawing near, police are tight-lipped about the alleged extortion at Ludhiana grain market and no arrest has been made even after five days of registration of FIR. (HT File)

As elections are drawing near, police are tight-lipped about the issue and no arrest has been made even after five days of registration of FIR.

The FIR was registered after some leaders of opposition parties started circulating videos purportedly showing a Congress leader extorting money from vendors.

Those named in the FIR include Pawan Kumar of Gurnam Nagar of Jasiyan Road, Davinder of Ladhowal and Soni of Neela Jhanda Gurdwara. Nine others, who are yet to be identified, are also booked in the case registered under Sections 384 (extortion), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

The case has been registered on the statement of Tek Bahadur Singh, secretary of market committee.

In his statement, Singh said the market committee had ordered the contractor to not take user charges from vendors from September 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. However, some people were still charging the fee from vendors.

Abbas Raja, former chairman, minorities wing of Punjab Congress, refuted the allegations. He said that as elections are around the corner the opposition parties are trying to defame the Congress workers by dragging their names in the controversy.