3 posing as CIA staff nabbed

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 9

The Laddowal police have nabbed three persons who had been blackmailing an industrialist by posing as the CIA staff of the police. The accused demanded Rs 2 crore from the him and managed to extort Rs 3 lakh from the latter. Two of their accomplices are at large.

Five persons had sent a woman, named Jasbir Kaur, along with bus contractor Harpinder Singh, to Harinder Pal Singh, a woollen mill owner, with reference for a job. Though Harinder said he only wanted an office boy for the job, Jasbir Kaur again visited his office two days later. While they were speaking, two persons barged into his office. Wearing khaki turbans and pants, tan boots, they were posing as CIA staff. They showed fake ID cards. Soon, four more persons joined them. They started harassing Harinder, accusing him of raping Jasbir Kaur. They told the industrialist that they would take action against him and arrest him. They demanded Rs 2 crore to settle the case.

They even beat him up and made a video after stripping him. They threatened him that they would upload the video on the social media if he did not pay them money.

They extorted Rs 2 lakh from him besides two cheques for Rs 2 lakh and Rs 5.5 lakh respectively. They came to the mill in a car with a yellow beacon atop it.

They said they need cash. They came again and took Rs 1 lakh from the industrialist but did not return the cheques. They kept him confined to his office.

After getting information, the Laddowal police arrested three of the accused at a check point in the area. Their accomplices managed to escape. The arrested persons include Jasbir Singh, Shebagh Singh and Pargat Singh.

The DCP, Narinder Bhargav, said apart from Rs 2 lakh extorted from Harinder, three 32 bore revolvers, a 12 bore pump action rifle, a 315 bore rifle, a gun, fake CIA ID cards, two vehicles (an Innova and a car with yellow beacon atop it) were recovered from them. A case under sections 388, 389, 342, 294, 170, 171, 188, 120 B, 148 and 149 of the IPC and sections 25, 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act has been registered against them. Cases have also been registered against Jasbir Kaur and her aunt.

The DCP said Jasbir Singh had a criminal record. As many as 12 cases of murder and robbery have been registered against him.