Now, former Congress MLA from Ajnala gets extortion call

Tribune News Service

PK Jaiswar

Amritsar, June 23

A day after former Deputy Chief Minister OP Soni got an extortion call, another former Congress MLA from Ajnala, Harpartap Singh Ajnala, also got a threat call from a person posing an associate of Lawrence Bishnoi.

He identified himself as Vicky Cobra and demanded an extortion of Rs 10 lakh for ‘protection’. Ajnala in his complaint to Kamboh police sought security for him and his family members.

In his complaint, he said he and his son Kanwar Partap Singh got calls from anonymous numbers. He picked up the phone only once, in which the caller said he was a member of Bishnoi gang. Later, he said he got threatening voice messages. He said the caller asked him to be ready for dire consequences for denying extortion money.

The Kamboh police, under Amritsar rural police, have registered a case under Sections 385, 387 and 506 of the IPC against Bishnoi and Vicky Cobra and launched further probe.

Harpartap was the third leader to get extortion call allegedly from members of Bishnoi gang. Earlier, former SAD leader Amarpal Singh Bony and former Deputy Chief Minister Om Parkash Soni have also got extortion calls.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Rashpal Singh said they were carrying out investigations to ascertain who was behind these calls. He said the accused would be behind the bars soon. The police claimed to have got some clues in these cases.

Swarndeep Singh, SSP, Amritsar (rural), also said the probe was on to ascertain the facts behind these extortion calls.

Sarabjit Singh Verka, member, Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO), an NGO, however, raised questions over the timing of these calls. “Why are these calls being made now when the security of many of them has been curtailed by the current dispensation while reviewing security threats?” he asked, adding that the matter should be probed threadbare.

City-based trader also threatened to cough up Rs 10 lakh

Sidharth Mahajan, a local trader running mobile phone show rooms at Lawrence Road and Hall Bazaar, claimed that he got an extortion call from a caller identifying himself as Vicky Brar, brother of Canada-based notorious gangster Goldy Brar. Mahajan in his complaint to the police said the caller demanded Rs 10 lakh and threatened to fire with AK-47 at his shop in case he disconnects his call or blocked the number. The Civil Lines police have registered a case under Sections 387 and 506 of the IPC against unidentified person for now.

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