Extortion: Gunshot fired outside diagnostic centre in Dera Bassi

Dera Bassi, July 20

Two bike-borne, masked youths fired a gunshot outside Apollo Diagnostic Centre in Shakti Nagar locality of Dera Bassi after issuing an extortion threat to the centre around 12:45 pm today.

One of the two youths barged into the centre, gave a slip with a foreign contact number (Portugal) to the female receptionist and identified themselves as members of the Kaushal Chaudhary gang. Before the receptionist could understand anything, he left the centre and fired a gunshot before fleeing with the accomplice.

The threat letter, written in neat handwriting, stated that today one shot had been fired and if instructions were not followed, 101 bullets could be fired. “Do not take it lightly, the note ended with a warning,” cops said.

The incident left visitors and patients at the diagnostic centre in a state of shock.

The incident took place close to the Dera Bassi police station.

SHO Mandeep Singh reached the spot and began investigation. The police have retrieved the CCTV footage of the area. Both the suspects have been captured in the footage. Cops questioned several people and eyewitnesses to get a clue about the suspects. Several nakas were set up immediately to trace them and phone surveillance was activated.

The police said Kaushal Chaudhary had fled abroad and now operated the Davinder Bambiha gang. The gang was locked in a bloody tussle with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang in the business of extortion and contract killings.

SHO Mandeep Singh said, “One round was fired. We have got some leads and are working on them.”