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Five booked for extorting money from Ludhiana businessman over eight-year period
The victim, Jagroop Singh, a fasteners businessman from Janta Nagar area in Ludhiana, said extorted money on multiple occasions, the latest being a threat of a false rape case
Police have booked two couples and their accomplice for allegedly extorting money from businessman over at least the last seven years, following the complaint of Jagroop Singh, a fasteners businessman from Janta Nagar area.
The victim said the accused, Harjot Singh, his wife Rupinder Kaur, brother Prabhjot Singh, Prabhjot’s wife Gaganpreet Kaur – all residents of New Shimlapuri and their accomplice Prabhjot Singh Bhui of Guru Angad Dev Nagar, extorted money on multiple occasions, the latest being a threat of a false rape case.
In his complaint, Singh said he had come in contact with the accused in 2009 through a common acquaintance. The accused had, at the time, claimed to have links with high-ranking officials and politicians.
He alleged that, in 2014, the accused came to his office carrying weapons and robbed him of ₹2 lakh. The accused had threatened against lodging a police complaint and they continued blackmailing him for more money.
Further, the victim alleged that a few months ago, the accused, along with their accomplice Prabhjot, threatened to implicate him in a false rape case. He ended up paying another ₹4 lakh, but the threats continued. Thereafter, he lodged a complaint with the police.
An enquiry was marked to the additional deputy commissioner of police-II (ADCP) Balwinder Singh Randhawa in the case.
The ADCP said Bhui had secured a job for a cousin at the victim’s office. The latter two later began a romantic relationship. Bhui and the other accused then hatched the plan to blackmail the victim and extort money from him, making multiple successful attempts in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2020 by blackmailing him.
Following the enquiry, a case under sections 384 (extortion), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and Arms Act has been lodged against the accused at the Shimlapuri police station.
Notably, the complainant had lodged a complaint with Division number 6 police, but no action was taken at the time. He then had requested to get the case to be looked into a different police station.
