A suspected aide of underworld don Chotta Shakeel was on Thursday arrested from neighbouring Kaushambi district of Uttar Pradesh for allegedly trying to extort Rs 20 lakh from a private company, police said in Allahabad.
Tauseef, who was arrested on Thursday morning, recently met the site accountant of Larsen and Toubro, involved in the construction of a bridge across the Ganga in Kaushambi, and said Chhota Shakeel had demanded Rs 20 lakh.
He said the don would himself ring up company officials in this connection, police said.
The accountant later received a call on his mobile but fearing that the number was from Dubai, did not respond and informed the project manager, who in turn complained to the police.
The alleged Chhota Shakeel link of Tauseef, who had been in a Mumbai jail for a few years in connection with a murder case sent the police into a tizzy, who succeeded in arresting him from his native district.
However, after being arrested, Tauseef admitted to have demanded Rs 20 lakh from the company officials, but claimed that he had no links with Shakeel and that he only used the name of the dreaded gangster to cause terror.
{{/usCountry}}However, after being arrested, Tauseef admitted to have demanded Rs 20 lakh from the company officials, but claimed that he had no links with Shakeel and that he only used the name of the dreaded gangster to cause terror.
{{/usCountry}}He said that the number from which a call was made on the accountant's phone from Dubai but said it belonged to his friend Noor, whom he had met while in Mumbai jail.
However, DIG Allahabad Range Akhilesh Mehrotra said "the underworld links of Tauseef would be thoroughly examined as he has a criminal record."