Police have detained a BSc student in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, for reportedly trying to extort Rs 30 lakh from a trader by using the name of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, officials said.
Haridwar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pramod Singh Dobal said the accused, Ashish Saini of Bahadrabad, was involved in the crime along with his associate, Ajay Hooda, who made threatening calls from Armenia.
Hooda, a native of Rohtak in Haryana, currently works in Armenia, Dobal added.
According to police, businessman Ravi Kumar, who runs a vehicle agency, had registered a complaint on October 30. He said someone claiming to be a member of the Bishnoi gang had called and demanded Rs 30 lakh, threatening him with dire consequences if he refused to pay.
Based on his complaint, the police registered a case against unidentified persons under Section 308(4) (attempt to commit extortion by threatening death or grievous hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
During the probe, a joint team of Haridwar Police and the Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU) traced the threatening calls to Armenia. The investigation revealed that the number was being used by Hooda, who had been frequently contacting someone in Bahadrabad, Uttarakhand.
When police questioned Ashish Saini, he confessed that he and Hooda had planned to extort money from the trader by making ransom calls from abroad, thinking it would help them avoid being traced.
Police said Saini had given Hooda the mobile numbers of Ravi Kumar and his brother, which were later used to make the extortion calls.
The SSP said Saini had been detained, and efforts were being made to initiate legal proceedings to bring Hooda back to India.
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