Youth posing as Goldy Brar’s brother held for extortion bid

The Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) has arrested a 24-year-old man for attempting to extort money Rs 1 crore from a ciry-based automobile store owner. The accused was impersonating the brother of gangster Goldy Brar.

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Sharing details, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said the accused, identified as Lovejeet Singh, a resident of Bargari, Faridkot, had demanded ?1 crore and issued death threats to the complainant and his family if the amount was not paid.

Preliminary probe has revealed that the accused used virtual numbers and social media applications to mask his identity and make extortion calls in an attempt to evade police detection.

While cautioning people to be wary of fake extortion calls, he said it has been observed that unknown criminals, without any links with any gangs or gangsters, are exploiting public fear by falsely claiming such associations.

Three months ago, the AGTF had busted a fake extortion racket being operated from Malaysia, targeting singers, businessmen and affluent individuals across Punjab. The accused impersonated members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, using fake social media profiles to intimidate potential victims and their families to extort money.

The AGTF had received a complaint regarding extortion and acting swiftly, police teams traced the origin of the calls, leading to identification of accused Lovejeet. The latter was apprehended from Mohali, he said.

A case has been registered.