Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Extortionist busted by Sadar police

GANGTOK, 01 Nov: Sadar Thana police busted a case of extortion within an hour of registering the case this morning and the culprit is now behind bars. Prashant Subba [25], was arrested by a police team for threatening and demanding Rs 2 lakhs from a businessman in Gangtok.
Since 29 Oct, Ramesh Kumar Agarwal who runs a shop at MG Marg, had received three anonymous letters in Hindi threatening to kidnap and kill his 8 year-old son if he did not pay a sum of Rs 2 lakhs. The first letter was found outside his house, the second outside his shop and the third was sent through a porter.
Apart from letters, Mr Agarwal also received phone calls from the accused again in Hindi at around 5:15 pm on 29 October, then at around 1:15 pm on 31 October. In another call at around 6:25 pm on 31 October, the accused asked the complainant to drop the said amount at a tailor shop below hotel Shantiniketan at Arithang and called from another number later in the night directing that the drop be made at 10 am at the said place.
Mr Agarwal then lodged an FIR with the Sadar Police at around 9 am this morning and the police registered the case under section 387 of IPC [Putting person in fear of death or of grievous hurt, in order to commit extortion] immediately.
Speaking to media persons today, Sadar Thana Officer In-charge, Tshering Sherpa, informed that after the case was registered the police prepared a pre-trap memorandum in front of two witnesses and asked the complainant to drop the money as directed. A police team in plainclothes was then placed around the spot where the drop was to be made.
On the direction of the police, the complainant made the drop at around 10 am and within 20 minutes the accused came to collect the money, at which point the police nabbed the culprit. During the post-trap memorandum the police found that it was the same money given by the complainant.
The accused originally hails from 10th Mile Kalimpong, West Bengal and was residing in a rented room at Sichey. It was informed that the accused had worked in the complainant’s shop for around a year as a salesman and had suddenly left the job six months ago.
Praising the prompt action of the Sadar Thana police, Mr Agarwal expressed that he would be always grateful to the police for solving the case in such a short time.
The OC has encouraged people to come forward if they get such threatening calls and to have faith in the police. He further said that giving in to such threats would only encourage such anti-social elements in the state.
The police will seek five days police remand to rule out involvement of any other persons in the case, it is learnt.

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