Amul MD gets extortion call from gang

Ahmedabad, May 30

Anand-based dairy major Amul’s Managing Director allegedly received an extortion call from a person claiming to be a member of fugitive Ravi Pujari’s gang, following which a probe was initiated by the Ahmedabad crime branch, the police said today.

RS Sodhi is the MD of Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation, which sells its products under the “Amul” brand and has headquarters at Anand town in Kheda district.

Crime branch officials said a person claiming to be a member of a Pujari gang called Sodhi a few days ago and demanded Rs 25 crore as protection money.

“The extortion call was made from an international number. Sodhi was asked to pay Rs 25 crore or else face consequences,” said KN Patel, city crime branch’s Assistant Commissioner of Police.

“Since we are already probing few other cases related to extortion calls claimed to be made by the Ravi Pujari gang, the state DGP has ordered to hand over the probe to us,” he said.

“Though it was an international number, it is possible that the call might have been made from India. Using some softwares, one can convert the local number into an international number,” Patel said. — PTI