Kabaddi player nabbed on extortion charge

Days after some unknown persons fired outside the residence of a doctor, the Amritsar rural police have arrested an international-level kabaddi player on charges of extortion.

He was identified as Gurlal Singh, a resident of Sohal village in Tarn Taran. The police recovered a .30 bore pistol along with two magazines from his possession. The police also seized the car used in the crime.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Inderjit Singh confirmed his arrest while adding that five of his accomplices are absconding and three of them were kabaddi players.

Yuvraj Nanda of Bhilowal Pucca village had lodged a complaint with the Lopoke police on June 4 alleging that some unknown persons had fired outside his house. He told the police that he runs a medical store near the Lopoke Civil Hospital while he also owned a private hospital at Bhilowal village.

The hospital was run by his father. He said a few days before the incident he had received a call from an unknown person who had demanded Rs 30 lakh in extortion from him. The accused had threatened him of dire consequences if he failed to give him the money. He said as he did not give the extortion money, the accused fired at his house.

DSP Inderjit Singh said as per an initial probe, Gurlal Singh had got the weapon from a foreign-based gangster, identified as Nav. He said the accused was in police remand and raids were on to nab the absconding accused.