Haridwar man held in extortion case linked to ED official

The police have arrested Kuldeep Sharma, a Haridwar resident, in an extortion case linked to Vishal Deep, Assistant Director, Enforcement Directorate (ED). This is the fourth arrest in the case.

Kuldeep is accused of being involved in the plot to extort Rs 50 lakh from the family of Rajnish Bansal, a complainant in a CBI case against Vishal.

According to the police, Kuldeep is a maternal uncle of Kartik Sharma, another accused in the case. Investigations revealed that on December 24, Kartik video-called Kuldeep, instructing him to collect the extortion money from Bansal’s family. The threats were reportedly issued through Rohit Gujjar, who claimed to be a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, and also used Kartik’s contact details to intimidate the Bansals.

On January 12, the police had arrested Kartik’s paternal uncle Subhash and maternal cousin Manoj Kumar for their alleged role in the case. The FIR was registered at the Sector 14 police station here after Mannat, son of Rajnish Bansal, and Vikas Bansal, Rajnish’s brother, allegedly received threatening WhatsApp calls and messages from Gujjar. The caller allegedly demanded Rs 50 lakh and warned the family of dire consequences if the amount was not paid. Subsequent investigations uncovered the alleged involvement of Vishal Deep, who was earlier arrested by the CBI in a graft case and was out on bail.

Kuldeep’s arrest comes as police authorities deepen their probe into the extortion case. Police officials stated that Kuldeep’s role in facilitating the operation was under scrutiny, with evidence linking him to key communications regarding the extortion plot.

Vishal Deep, who was previously questioned in Panchkula after being brought from Mumbai, remains a central figure in the probe. He is currently being interrogated by the CBI. The police are now focusing on unearthing the network behind the extortion attempt, which allegedly involved a notorious gang and persons close to the ED official.