Two youths posing as Naxals were held after they tried to extort money from a petrol pump owner in Devbhog locality of the district headquarters, police said here on Monday.
The youths had made threatening calls to the local petrol pump owner who then approached the police for help and eventually the accused came in the police dragnet, Superintendent of Police, Gariaband, Abhishek Pathak informed The Pioneer over phone.
According to the police, the arrested accused were identified as lakshmikant alias Pintu Gahir and Manoj Pod alias Maltu both hailing from Koksra police station of Kalahandi district Odisha.
They had made threatening calls to one Mukesh Agrawal demanding cash of ` 50,000. Agrawal however did not surrender to the threat and reported that matter to Devbhog police. Police then traced the mobile number used by the accused and arrested them. Police informed that the accused in a similar fashion had extorted money from some businessman in Chandahandi. They have been booked under the relevant Sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC), police said.