Rs 1-crore extortion call ends in police encounter, two Punjab-based suspects detained
Police will question them after they are discharged from hospital to ascertain their involvement in the extortion
An extortion call allegedly demanding Rs 1 crore ended in an encounter on Thursday morning, with Kaithal police detaining two suspects after a brief exchange of fire near Padla-Guhla road in the district, police said. Both accused sustained bullet injuries and were rushed to hospital, where they are undergoing treatment.
The accused have been identified as Gurkirat Singh, a resident of Timovala in Amritsar district, and Karambir Singh of Ranakalan in Amritsar district of Punjab, said Ramesh Chander, DSP.
Giving details, the DSP said the accused had allegedly demanded Rs 1 crore from a resident of Padla village, which falls under the jurisdiction of Sadar police station. They had threatened to kill him if he failed to pay the extortion money.
Taking the threat call seriously, Kaithal Superintendent of Police (SP) Manpreet Singh Sudan assigned the case to the anti-extortion cell, which initiated an investigation, he said. He added that a breakthrough came on Thursday morning when a team led by ASI Tarsem Kumar, in-charge of the anti-extortion cell, received crucial inputs about the suspects’ whereabouts. Acting swiftly, the team moved to intercept them on the Padla-Guhla road.
An exchange of fire broke out between the police team and the suspects, leaving both accused with gunshot injuries to their legs. The police overpowered them and took them to hospital.
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Preliminary investigation has revealed that both accused had allegedly arrived in the area with the intention of attacking the complainant. Their detention before the alleged execution of the plan averted a serious crime, the DSP asserted.
The police will question them after they are discharged from hospital to ascertain their involvement in the Rs 1-crore extortion demand, identify the network behind the threats and determine whether they had links to other criminal activities, the DSP said.