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Ludhiana: Khanna police debunk ₹ 50-lakh ransom claim
The case was registered on July 8 after professor Sumer Seeda lodged a complaint alleging that two scooter-borne youths had fired shots near his vehicle on the National Highway on the evening of July 7
What initially appeared to be a dramatic case involving alleged firing on a national highway and a ₹50-lakh ransom demand has taken a surprising turn, with Khanna police claiming that the man accused of extortion was actually seeking financial assistance for his visually impaired father’s medical treatment.
The case was registered on July 8 after professor Sumer Seeda lodged a complaint alleging that two scooter-borne youths had fired shots near his vehicle on the National Highway on the evening of July 7. He further claimed that after reaching Patiala, he received a video call through Facebook Messenger during which a demand for ₹50 lakh was allegedly made.
The police have arrested a UP resident Dolinder Soni of Hathras following the complaint filed by the complainant.
However, a detailed investigation by the police has so far failed to substantiate the allegations of extortion. Superintendent of police (investigation) Pawanjit Chaudhary said that police teams scrutinised CCTV footage, digital evidence, social media communications and other technical records. The probe revealed no concrete evidence suggesting that professor Seeda was specifically targeted during the highway incident.
The police also found that the alleged firing did not appear to involve a genuine firearm. Preliminary findings suggest that the object used may have been a toy pistol or a similar imitation weapon.
The biggest breakthrough came during the examination of Facebook Messenger records. Police traced the messages to Dolinder Soni, a resident of Hathras in Uttar Pradesh, and subsequently detained him for questioning. During the investigation, officers discovered that Soni had not demanded ₹50 lakh as ransom. Instead, he had allegedly been using social media platforms to seek financial help for the treatment of his 70-year-old father, who had lost his eyesight.
According to the police, Soni had requested only ₹5,000 from professor Seeda as financial assistance. The SP added that the emotional appeal was later perceived as an extortion demand, but no evidence supporting a ransom claim has emerged during the inquiry.
Police have clarified that neither the alleged ransom demand nor the firing allegations have been confirmed at this stage. Nevertheless, efforts are continuing to identify the two youths seen riding the scooter on the highway. CCTV footage and other technical evidence are being analysed to establish their identity and determine the exact circumstances surrounding the incident.
Professor Seeda, who has had an active political career, joined the Congress in 2008 and was considered close to former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and MP Preneet Kaur. He later left the party in 2016, joined the Aam Aadmi Party in 2021 before parting ways over a ticket dispute, and subsequently joined the Shiromani Akali Dal, where he was appointed national vice-president and general secretary of the party’s Punjab Trade Wing.
