Police have arrested three persons, including a juvenile, for allegedly demanding an extortion amount of ₹50 lakh from a local trader at Ahli Kalan village and attempting a firing incident after the victim refused to pay.
Kapurthala senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gaurav Toora said the accused made a ransom call on March 21, threatening the trader with dire consequences if the demand was not met. When the trader declined, three unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants attempted to open fire.
Acting swiftly, the police tracked the suspects over a distance of nearly 100 km and apprehended them in Tarn Taran.
The accused have been identified as Amritpreet Singh of Khera village in Tarn Taran district and Nishan Singh of Naushehra Pannuan. A juvenile has also been taken into custody.
Police recovered an illegal pistol and a motorcycle used in the crime from their possession.
During interrogation, it came to light that the accused were allegedly acting on the directions of organised gangs operating from abroad. They had also been planning to carry out similar incidents in the region, SSP Toora added.