Chandigarh: 6 of Bishnoi gang booked for making extortion calls

Chandigarh, March 17

Six members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang have been booked by the Operation Cell of the UT police on a charge of making extortion calls to businessmen and club and hotel owners in the city. The police claim that the suspects were planning to avenge the murder of youth Akali leader Vikramjt Singh, alias Vicky Middhukera, who was gunned down in Mohali last year.

One of them, Inderpreet Singh, alias Parry, an active member and sharpshooter of the gang, has been arrested.

The suspects have been identified as Rajesh Paswan, a resident of Sector 56, Inderpreet Singh, alias Parry, of Sector 33, Jacky and Satbir Gujjar, both residents of Panchkula, Amandeep Singh, alias Mani, a resident of Zirakpur, and Karan Banur, a resident of Banur, Patiala.

The police said the suspects were allegedly involved in making extortion calls to businessmen on the pretext of protection money.

The FIR, lodged under Sections 384 (extortion) and 386 (extortion by putting a person in the fear of death or grievous hurt) of IPC and under Sections 24, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act at the Sector 26 police station, mentions that the suspects made their targets speak through WhatsApp calls to gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi, Sampat Nehra, Ravinder Kali and Deepu Banur, who are lodged in jail, to instil fear.

According to the police, another gang member, Goldy Brar, who is based in Canada, also made extortion calls.

The FIR further states that the suspects were planning to take revenge for the murder of SOI leader Vikramjt Singh Middhukera, for which they were collecting money through illegal means.

Inderpreet, who has several cases registered against him, has been nabbed by the police. Meanwhile, Satbir, alias Gujjar, was arrested by the UT police last month from Sector 26 with a pistol and five cartridges.

Another suspect, Rajesh Paswan, was earlier booked in a similar case by the UT police in 2020. He was also booked in the case of firing at F Bar, a nightclub in Sector 26, during the birthday bash of Sahdev Salaria, an aide of MP Kirron Kher, in 2018. Paswan had also unsuccessfully contested the MC elections as an Independent candidate in the past.

Karan Banur is the brother of Deepu Brar.

Weapons recovered

Police sources said three weapons and around 100 live cartridges had been recovered from Parry’s house.

Protection money?

The police said the suspects were allegedly involved in making extortion calls to businessmen on the pretext of protection money.