Gang inspired by Bollywood movie 'Special-26 busted, 9 arrested
Darpan News Desk IANS, 17 Nov, 2022 12:40 PM
New Delhi, Nov 17 (IANS) Inspired by Bollywood flick 'Special 26 ', a gang which was trying to extort Rs 15 to 20 crore from the President of a Mumbai-based company by sending them fake notices of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), was busted by Delhi Police's Crime Branch.
Police said that they have arrested nine people, including an Assam Rifles Head Constable, of the gang. Meanwhile, a manhunt has been initiated to nab other accused which also includes a Delhi-based lawyer.
The accused have been identified as Akhilesh Mishra, Darshan Harish, Vinod Kumar Patel, Dharmender Kumar Giri, Naresh Mahto, Asrar Ali, Vishnu Prasad, Devender Kumar Dubey and Gajender alias Guddu.
Addressing a press conference, Ravindra Singh Yadav, the Special Commissioner of Police (Crime), said that Navi Mumbai resident and the President of Nippon India Paints recently received two notices from ED and subsequently his colleague was informed by one Akhilesh that ED had registered a case against them and soon they will be in deep trouble but he can help them sort out the matter through his sources.
"Akhilesh, his son and Darshan contacted the complainant again and communicated that he had confirmed from ED sources. He promised them that he can sort out the issue with the help of his liaison in the ED office," said Yadav.
The complainant contacted Akhilesh who initially demanded a ransom of Rs 2 to 3 crore and further asked to meet in Delhi.
On November 12, the complainant met accused Akhilesh and Darshan at Mumbai Airport.
"The accused told the complainant that properties worth thousands of crores have been found by ED and this issue will be settled only with payment in crores of rupees. The accused also asked for travelling expenses to go to Delhi and settle things in Delhi's ED office," said the official.
Air tickets for both the accused were booked by the victim and a meeting was also fixed at Ashoka Hotel in Delhi.
"During the meeting, the accused persons upped their demands to Rs 20 crore for negotiation and settlement. The victim then approached police following which a case under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code was registered and investigation was taken up," said the official.
The duo accused was apprehended from the tea lounge area in Ashoka Hotel.
During interrogation, the accused revealed that three of their associates were present in a room in the same hotel.
"Acting on the information, a police team raided the hotel and nabbed Vinod Kumar Patel, Dharmender Kumar Giri and Naresh Mahto from the spot while the other members of the gang Asrar Ali, Vishnu Prasad and Devender Kumar Dubey were apprehended from Khan Market," said the official.
"The whole conspiracy was planned and hatched meticulously and every role was precisely defined and enacted," the official added.
Furnishing details, Deputy Commissioner of Police (north), Sagar Singh Kalsi, said some complaints were received on the MHA's Cyber Crime Portal regarding extortion by fake Crime Branch and YouTube officials on the pretext of lodging police complaints over obscene videos of victims and uploading of the same on YouTube.
As many as 61 complainants listed their grievances before the Chief Minister during the 'Lok Milni'. He directed top officers present on the occasion to ensure immediate resolution of these complaints in a time-bound and result-oriented manner.
As per visuals released from the spot, thick fumes of black smoke along with a massive blaze could be seen billowing out of the ill-fated three-storey building. The firemen used the fire truck ladder to reach out to the maximum possible height to spray water over the blaze.
A 35-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly duping over 100 women on the pretext of marriage, an official said here on Friday. The accused, who has been identified as Farhan Taseer Khan, is himself married and stayed in a rented accomodation in Delhi.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday dismissed its four Sub-Inspectors after placing them under arrest for demanding Rs 25 lakh bribe from a businessman in Chandigarh threatening him of implication in a terror case. The accused officials were identified as Sumit Gupta, Pardeep Rana, Ankur Kumar, Akash Ahlawat, all posted in Delhi office.
The latest arrestee, identified as Abdul alias Raja, was found involved in allegedly orchestrating violence and also provoking the crowd to resort to stone pelting during the Hanuman Jayanti procession.
