The Delhi Police Crime Branch has busted a gang of alleged extortionists who blackmailed doctors as well as nursing home and pathological lab owners by shooting sting videos.
The four arrested persons, including a woman and two freelancers working with a private news channel, have admitted to committing 50 extortions in the past couple of years. The police suspect that the amount runs into several crores of rupees.
The incident came to light after a pathology lab owner in Punjabi Bagh lodged a complaint that a sum of Rs.40 lakh was extorted from him by making a sting video, apparently portraying him as someone who allowed sex determination tests.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav said the gang sent a woman posing as a patient. Her conversation with the complainant’s father was recorded and then edited in such a manner that it appeared that he had given his consent to determine the sex of her foetus. On October 4, a few gang members went to the path lab. After sending employees out, they demanded Rs.1 crore from the complainant’s father, saying they had recorded the conversation in which he had said that the Path Lab could arrange for sex determination test.
Under duress, the complainant’s father paid Rs.40 lakh to them. When the complainant’s sons learnt about the incident, they reported the matter to the police. Based on a tip-off, the South Eastern Range of Crime Branch conducted a raid and arrested two persons – Ram Sharan (32) and Dhan Singh (30). At their instance, two more accused – Jai Kochar (24) amd Pushpa (36) – were also arrested.
