Two police personnel and their accomplices have been accused of abducting three businessmen from Noida while accusing them of having being indulged in illegal activities and bringing them to Khanna to extort crores of rupees, police officials said on Wednesday. After it came to the notice of other officials, the higher-ups were informed following which an FIR was registered, the cyber crime police said.
The accused have been identified as assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Kuldeep Singh, head constable Balwinder Singh and their four accomplices. According to the police, the incident took place on the night of September 15 when the accused, posing as senior police officers, stormed a call centre in Sector 136, Noida. They seized mobile phones and laptops from the staff before forcibly making three businessmen—Tarun Agrawal, Herat Shah and Thurai Raj—sit in two black SUVs. The victims were then driven to Ludhiana and held hostage at a dhaba room until morning before being taken to the Khanna cyber crime police station.
The victims later revealed that the accused initially demanded ₹10 crore, claiming a complaint was pending with the Chandigarh cybercrime unit. The deal was later reduced to ₹5 crore, then ₹2 crore and finally the accused tried to settle it at ₹70 lakh. According to the victims, the accused forced cryptocurrency transfers worth over ₹4 lakh, compelled purchases of gift cards and looted personal belongings, including a phone and a watch. Officials are yet to ascertain the total amount extorted from the victims.
Sub-inspector Narpinder Singh, station house officer (SHO) of the cyber crime police station, said the case came to light when discrepancies were noticed during questioning of the accused at the Khanna cyber crime police station. “Upon being questioned strictly, ASI Kuldeep Singh and head constable Balwinder Singh confessed to their involvement. A case under Sections 319 (cheating by personation), 140 (kidnapping or abducting a person with specific malicious intents), 3(5) (criminal act committed by several persons with a common intention) and 318(4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered against both and also their aides Gagandeep Singh alias Gagan Apple, Karandeep Singh, Mani and one unidentified person,” the SHO said.
{{/usCountry}}Sub-inspector Narpinder Singh, station house officer (SHO) of the cyber crime police station, said the case came to light when discrepancies were noticed during questioning of the accused at the Khanna cyber crime police station. “Upon being questioned strictly, ASI Kuldeep Singh and head constable Balwinder Singh confessed to their involvement. A case under Sections 319 (cheating by personation), 140 (kidnapping or abducting a person with specific malicious intents), 3(5) (criminal act committed by several persons with a common intention) and 318(4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered against both and also their aides Gagandeep Singh alias Gagan Apple, Karandeep Singh, Mani and one unidentified person,” the SHO said.
{{/usCountry}}The police said the accused misused their authority and extorted money. Karandeep has been arrested while others are at large, officials said.
The police further said that during the raid, Gagandeep Singh alias Gagan Apple posed as a DIG while ASI Kuldeep Singh introduced himself as a superintendent of police and the head constable posed as a deputy superintendent of police.
While reports suggested one accused had political links, the concerned political camp has denied any association. The three businessmen, who were brought from Noida, were released. The police said they were looking into the activities of the three businessmen to ascertain if any illegality was involved.