5 including Noida mall staff booked after Thai embassy flags extortion

Five people, including the Noida Sector 75 mall operation in-charge, were booked for extortion, defamation, and criminal intimidation after the Royal Thai Embassy wrote a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs of India about a dispute involving a 54-year-old Thai national woman and her daughter with the mall management over brokerage of kiosks

Five people, including the Noida Sector 75 mall operation in-charge, were booked for extortion, defamation, and criminal intimidation after the Royal Thai Embassy wrote a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs of India about a dispute involving a 54-year-old Thai national woman and her daughter with the mall management over brokerage of kiosks.

Police said Azra Siamwala, a Thailand national, has been residing with her daughter Shimona Siamwala in India for six years and has obtained an Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card. (Representational image)

The victim said she approached the Embassy three times in two months. Initially, they refused to intervene with Indian law, but when her daughter was arrested by Noida police and taken into custody over allegations that she hired goons to assault Tyagi and his associates, the Embassy intervened.

Police said Azra Siamwala, a Thailand national, has been residing with her daughter Shimona Siamwala in India for six years and has obtained an Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card.

Siamwala told HT, “I opened a garments kiosk on rent at a mall in Noida around a year ago after paying brokerage of ₹50,000. After a few months, when I opened two more kiosks without paying brokerage (directly from landlords), the mall operation in-charge, Amit Tyagi, demanded brokerage of ₹1.5 lakh.”

When she refused, the kiosks were vandalised, leading to a huge loss. “When I approached Tyagi, he misbehaved and passed lewd comments. He also forcefully recorded offensive videos of me and circulated them,” added Siamwala.

Police said the incident took place in May, after which Siamwala approached the Royal Thai Embassy.

“When a case under Sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 352 (intentional insult) of BNS was registered against my daughter on July 8 and she was put into custody, then the embassy intervened,” said Siamwala.

The Embassy said, “The victims have reported experiencing treatment from the staff of the mall in Noida and the Noida police that they believe to be biased and unfair.”

The Embassy further stated that they have strong trust in the “judicial process of India” and believe that “fair treatment” will be afforded to Thai nationals. “In accordance with Article 3 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961 and Article 5 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963, which pertain to the assistance and protection of the interests of its nationals, as well as the exercise of consular functions, it would be much appreciated if the esteemed ministry could provide the Embassy updated information and any developments regarding the aforementioned case,” reads the letter.

Following the letter, the Noida police were directed to record the statements of Siamwala, and a case under Sections 351(2)(3) (criminal intimidation), 324(4)(5) (mischief), 352 (intentional insult), 308(2) (extortion), 248 (false charge with intent to cause injury), and 356 (defamation) of BNS was registered against five people—Gaurav Arora and his associates Amit Tyagi, Rahul Tyagi, Vinit Jajodiya, and Raj Dagar—for their involvement in the case.

Rajiv Narayan Mishra, Gautam Budh Nagar additional commissioner of police said, “We have registered a case based on her allegation and are investigating the case.”