Minor held for demanding Rs 50 lakh from UP trader after posing as Lawrence Bishnoi gang member           

Police here have held a 15-year-old boy from Bengaluru for allegedly demanding Rs 50 lakh in extortion from a local trader by posing as a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi said on Wednesday that trader Ranjit Singh, a resident of Nigohi area, lodged a complaint on October 31 after receiving a call on Facebook Messenger from an account named Om Singh. The caller claimed to be from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and demanded Rs 50 lakh, threatening to kill the trader if he failed to pay.

Following the complaint, three police teams were formed to trace the suspect. "After tracking the Facebook account's location, teams were sent to Karnataka's Bengaluru and Uttar Pradesh's Fatehpur. Our Special Operations Group held a 15-year-old from Bengaluru who runs a poha stall there," Dwivedi said.

During preliminary questioning, the minor reportedly confessed that he is not linked to any gang and had made the call after watching several crime-related reels on social media platforms. He said he runs a small food stall to support his family.

The minor is a native of Fatehpur district here and lives in Bengaluru with a relative, said the officer.

The accused was presented before the Juvenile Justice Board and sent to judicial custody on Wednesday.