Former Ludhiana youth Congress president Rajiv Raja held for extortion bid
A call recording had also gone viral on other social networking sites, in which Raja was purportedly heard threatening a person over a monetary dispute.
A former district youth Congress president, believed to be close to Union railways minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, has been arrested in a ₹30 lakh extortion bid on a city-based businessman on Sunday.
The accused, Rajiv Raja, has been booked under Sections 308(4) (extortion) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Division Number 8 police station.
Two others have also been arrested in the case but police are keeping their identities under wraps.
Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP, investigation) Amandeep Singh Brar has confirmed the development.
Victim, Ravish Gupta, 37, a resident of Mall Enclave, reported that he had been receiving continuous calls and messages on WhatsApp from an international number over the past few days. The unknown caller demanded ₹30 lakh ransom and warned that failure to comply would result in dire consequences, including death.
A call recording had also gone viral on other social networking sites, in which Raja was purportedly heard threatening a person over a monetary dispute.
Raja had left the Congress soon after Bittu had joined Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of Parliamentary elections, but had not joined any party.
Reacting to the action Bittu, in a video statement, said that Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, after the humiliating defeat in Delhi, is targeting the people who helped BJP. He added that Raja himself is a businessman and won’t threaten anyone for money.
Bittu also announced to stage a protest outside Mann’s residence after the Parliament session.
Bittu also challenged Mann to lodge an FIR against him.