Three men have been arrested for making extortion calls to a Giaspura-based potato trader, police said on Saturday.
The accused allegedly demanded Rs 2 lakh from the trader, Santosh Kumar, of Makkar Colony, Giaspura, and threatened him that they would harm his family members if he failed to pay up. They even vandalised the window pane of his car parked outside his house.
The trio has been identified as Sukhdev Singh alias Sonu of Arjan Nagar, Daresi, Surjit Singh alias Vicky of Mohalla Nanak Nagar and Bajrangi of Karabara. One of their accomplices, Pawan Kumar, is yet to be arrested.
Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP, city 2), Jaskiranjit Singh Teja, said that Santosh made a complaint to them on Friday, stating that he had been receiving extortion calls from an unknown number for the past few days. “Initially, he took the calls lightly and did not inform us until the accused damaged the window pane of his car. Earlier, he assumed that someone was trying to play a prank on him,” the ADCP (city 2) said.
ACCUSED WORKED IN MANDI VISITED BY VICTIM DAILY
The accused are known to the trader as they work in the potato mandi where he visits daily for business. The trader looked like an easy target to the trio following which they plotted the plan, the policeman said.
{{/usCountry}}The accused are known to the trader as they work in the potato mandi where he visits daily for business. The trader looked like an easy target to the trio following which they plotted the plan, the policeman said.
{{/usCountry}}A case has been registered under Sections 384 (punishment for extortion), 427 (whoever commits mischief and thereby causes loss or damage to the amount of fifty rupees or upwards), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code at Sahnewal police station. A motorcycle and a mobile phone that was used in making the extortion calls have been recovered from the accused.