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Gurugram: Shopkeeper asked to pay ₹50,000 by Bhondsi jail inmate
Gurugram The police booked three persons for allegedly demanding protection money from a 35-year-old shopkeeper in Heli Mandi of Pataudi on Thursday. According to
Gurugram The police booked three persons for allegedly demanding protection money from a 35-year-old shopkeeper in Heli Mandi of Pataudi on Thursday. According to the police, the suspect identified himself as a close aide of Krishan Rampuriya, who is lodged in jail in connection with a murder case, and threatened his life. The suspects were yet to be arrested on Friday evening.
The police said they received a complaint on Thursday from the man, who has been running a grocery store for the last 10 years. He alleged that he received two WhatsApp audios from an unknown number, allegedly belonging to Rampuriya, who is in Bhondsi jail. The sender asked for ₹50,000 and threatened his life, and warned him against approaching the police.
The man was dealing with customers in his shop when two men approached him, to sell their land. He refused and said he was not looking to buy plots. One of the suspects, identifying himself as Rocky, a close aide of Krishan Rampuriya, demanded ₹50,000 and said it would be sent to jail for Rampuriya’s Diwali expenditure.
Police said the incident was recorded on the CCTV camera installed at the shop.
On Thursday, around noon, the same men approached him, accompanied by a third. “I was talking to one of my customers when they entered the shop. Rocky called me aside and demanded Rs 50,000 as protection money, said that if I refused, he would ‘show me a trailer’ and kill me in the shop. I said I didn’t have any cash, following which he asked me to arrange it and said he would return by 4pm to collect the same,” the shop owner said.
Police commissioner Muhammad Akil said that the owner informed the police control room and a team from Pataudi police station reached the spot. An FIR was registered at the Pataudi police station under sections 384, 506 and 34 of the IPC.
“Although one of the suspects was identified, the crime teams are yet to identify the other two. Rocky is a frequent visitor to the shop and purchased groceries from him several times,” he said.
Akil said they have received strong leads and would arrest them soon. “We are yet to ascertain the involvement of the inmate and are conducting an investigation to check if the call was made from the jail,” he said.
The police said Rocky has been arrested several times for extortion bids, snatching, attempt to murder and robberies, and is currently out on bail.
