Delhi Police bust Goldy Brar-linked extortion racket, three arrested
The Delhi Police busted an alleged India-Dubai extortion racket linked to the Goldy Brar gang and arrested three key operatives, foiling a planned firing at the residence of a Delhi businessman, officials said on Friday.
The accused called the businessman through a UAE-based number, threatening his family with dire consequences and demanding Rs 1 crore, they said
On September 16, businessman Praveen Jain received three missed calls around 8.15 pm. Later, his son Ayush received a call from a UAE-based mobile number around 9.27 pm, and the caller allegedly identified himself as an associate of gangster Goldy Brar.
Police said they then registered a case at Roop Nagar police station on September 17. During the investigation, police analysed the communication trail and found that the calls were allegedly routed through virtual private server/data-centre infrastructure, with links to the UAE, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Niharika Bhatt said.
A technical and intelligence-based investigation led police to several Indian associates and eventually to Aarif alias Pistol, 32, who allegedly acted as an operational link between the Dubai-based callers and their associates in India, police said. Police arrested Aarif in Vejalpur, Ahmedabad, on September 24 with the assistance of Gujarat Police, they said. Police said Aarif allegedly offered money to a Dubai-based associate, identified as Aarish, to make the extortion call. He allegedly told him to speak in Haryanvi, so the threat would appear to come from a local criminal associate.
The investigation led police to Mubarik alias Gullu, a resident of Tittwara, who was allegedly identified as a key conspirator. Police arrested him in Delhi on September 25.
Police alleged that Mubarik had helped hatch the plan and arranged accommodation in Kirari for shooters who had allegedly been engaged to carry out the threats if the extortion demand was not met.
The police said intelligence later revealed that the accused were allegedly planning to fire multiple rounds at the victim’s residence in Roop Nagar and then renew the extortion demand. The plan was allegedly to be executed within days.
Acting on the intelligence, police deployed preventive arrangements at the victim’s residence in coordination with the local police station, thereby foiling the alleged attack before it could be carried out, officials said.
During the investigation, police also found that the same UAE-based number had allegedly been used to target another Delhi businessman in Rohini with an identical `1 crore demand.
On September 19, the younger brother of a construction businessman in Sector 1, Rohini, received two WhatsApp calls from the same UAE number, followed by a 37-second audio message, police said.
The caller allegedly introduced himself as Vikrant from Mahendergarh, claimed affiliation with the Goldy Brar gang and demanded Rs 1 crore within 48 hours while threatening firing and other consequences. Police subsequently registered a separate case at Vijay Vihar police station on September 24.
Police said their investigation indicated that four suspected shooters, two from Panipat and two from Khalapar in Muzaffarnagar, had allegedly been engaged to execute the threats.
One of the alleged shooters, Nawab Ali alias Sonij, a resident of Khalapar, was apprehended on October 1 with the assistance of the Railway Protection Force from a moving train near Rewari station while he was allegedly attempting to escape, police said.
Police said Aarif has previously been involved in 12 cases registered between 2016 and 2026 at police station Kairana in Shamli district, including cases related to attempt to murder, extortion, criminal intimidation, rioting and offences under the Arms Act.
The police are now trying to apprehend the remaining accused, including the suspected shooters, and trace the Dubai-based caller. They are also examining communication records, digital evidence, and financial transactions to map the full network and determine whether the same group was involved in other extortion cases.
