Debt-ridden kulcha seller held for Rs 10-lakh extortion attempt
He ran a kulcha shop on Majitha Road, had no criminal record and, on the face of it, appeared to have little connection with the world of organised crime. But mounting debt allegedly drove 51-year-old Sukhbir Singh to take a drastic turn — walking into a doctor’s clinic with a pistol and demanding Rs 10 lakh extortion.
The alleged extortion attempt lasted only a few minutes, but the police managed to trace and arrest him within 12 hours, recovering the weapon and the scooter allegedly used in the crime.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Sirivennela said that Sukhbir entered the doctor’s clinic around 11.30 am on Saturday wearing a black helmet. He allegedly pulled out a .32-bore pistol, pointed it at the doctor and warned him and asked to keep Rs 10 lakh ready by Monday before leaving the premises.
What initially appeared to be a conventional extortion threat took an unexpected turn during the investigation. The police found that the accused had no previous criminal case registered against him.
Preliminary questioning has indicated that Sukhbir was facing financial distress because of mounting debt. He had taken a loan, which he was unable to repay. Investigators suspect that the financial pressure prompted him to choose crime as a way out, though the police are still probing the circumstances that led him to target the doctor.
The Majitha Road police registered a case under Sections 351(2), 351(3) and 308(4) of the BNS and relevant sections of the Arms Act following the doctor’s complaint.
A .32-bore pistol, two live cartridges, an Activa scooter (PB02 EH 1819) and the black helmet allegedly worn during the incident were recovered from him.
The police are now investigating whether the accused acted alone, how he procured the firearm and whether he had conducted any prior reconnaissance of the doctor or his clinic.
Sukhbir will be produced before a court, with the police seeking his remand for further questioning. Investigators are also trying to establish what turned a small-business owner with no known criminal history into an armed accused in a matter of hours.
