A North Delhi-based businessman has been receiving extortion calls from a goon who claims to be the notorious mafia Munna Bajrangi — a dreaded criminal of East Uttar Pradesh who is being lodged in Tihar Jail.
The extortionist has allegedly been seeking Rs 5 crore as 'protection money' from the businessman and his family. The matter was reported to the North district police and is being investigated whether Munna Bajrangi himself called from Tihar jail, where he is currently lodged since 2009 or some other crony was using his name to threaten the property dealer in coughing up the whopping amount.
The complainant, Sant Ram lives with his family in Main Burari Road and runs a construction material and property dealing business in North Delhi. "The first extortion call was received by the victim on April 28, from 'Bajrangi'. He had called on the victim's private phone number and told him that he got his 'supari' in the market. He demanded Rs 5 crore as protection money," a senior police officer said.
Initially the victim thought that someone was playing aprank on him but the threatening calls started pouring in. 'Bajrangi' warned him of serious consequences if he failed to pay the protection amount. The complainant had decided to pay him.
The caller asked him to come to Sonipat first and then to Ballabgarh. However, when the victim refused, the caller threatened to kill his son. "Sant Ram, later approached the police and a case under Sections 387 and 506 was registered at Burari Police station," the officer added.
"Investigators are scanning the call detail records (CDR) of the victim and it has emerged that the calls were being made with the use of a SIM card which was purchased with fake identity proof. We are trying to establish who all are behind this extortion racket, operating in the name of Munna Bajrangi," an investigating officer said.
Few months ago, the Special Cell of Delhi Police had arrested Amit Shukla -- one of the accused in the murder of Television journalist Soumya Viswanathan -- and Arun Kumar -- a compounder at the Tihar dispensary --for allegedly extorting Rs 50,000 as the first installment from a businessman who had been targeted by Shukla.