3 held for making extortion calls to Khemkaran trader

Tarn Taran, April 16

The Khemkaran police have arrested three extortionists who were working to collect ransom in the name of gangster Goldi Brar. At a press conference here on Tuesday, SSP Ashwani Kapur said the arrested extortionists were identified as Pankaj Bajaj, Shamsher Singh Shera and Gurpreet Singh Gopi, residents of Khemkaran.

A toy pistol, a motorcycle and four mobile phones were recovered from their possession by the police. The suspects had been demanding Rs 20 lakh in extortion from a businessman Amit Kumar, a resident of Khemkaran, since over one month. The suspects had been threatening to kill the businessman and his family members in case he disclosed the matter to the police or refused to pay the money asked for.

The SSP said one of the suspects, Pankaj Bajaj, worked with Amit Kumar at his commission shop at the grain market in Khemkaran, but left work and opened his own shop. The suspects had been making extortion calls to Amit Kumar on his mobile phone and were also sending him WhatsApp messages for the extortion amount. The suspects were booked under Sections 387 and 506 of the IPC by the Khemkaran police.