Bengaluru: A dramatic extortion attempt has rocked the Sheshadripuram locality in Bengaluru, where a local plywood businessman received threatening calls from individuals claiming to be members of a North Indian gangster syndicate. The plot, involving threats of kidnapping and demands for Rs 1 crore, was busted within 48 hours by the Bengaluru City Police, who arrested four individuals, including three from Uttar Pradesh and a local businessman.
According to police reports, the complainant, a plywood trader residing in an apartment complex in Nehru Nagar, approached Sheshadripuram Police on July 9. He stated that on the night of July 8, his father received a phone call from an unknown person demanding Rs 1 crore. The caller threatened that the businessman would be kidnapped if the demand was not fulfilled.
Based on the seriousness of the threat, Bengaluru Police Commissioner ordered an immediate high-level investigation. Two dedicated teams were formed — one to trace local involvement and the other to track down suspects in Uttar Pradesh. Officers from the Central Division and the Central Crime Branch (CCB) were brought into the probe.
The investigation led police to a car accessories businessman operating near JC Road, who was picked up for questioning on July 12. During interrogation, the suspect admitted to orchestrating the entire extortion scheme. He revealed that he had disputes with the complainant over business deals and land transactions. Seeking revenge, he invited three accomplices from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, to Bengaluru and provided them with accommodation, mobile phones, and instructions to make threatening calls using the name of a notorious North Indian gangster.
The primary suspect confessed that the aim was to extract money from the complainant through fear and intimidation. He also admitted to misleading his associates into believing that the complainant had defrauded him. The complainant and his associates were threatened with kidnapping if the money was not paid.
Following the arrest, the prime accused was produced before court on July 13 and remanded to judicial custody. Simultaneously, a team of Sheshadripuram police officers travelled to Delhi and, with assistance from local law enforcement, apprehended the three accused from Halipur on July 12. These individuals also confessed to their role in the conspiracy.
On July 14, all three were produced before a local magistrate and remanded to 10 days of police custody. During interrogation, the accused revealed that they had travelled to Bengaluru with firearms and ammunition to execute the extortion threats.
Given the gravity of these disclosures, the police have intensified their investigation, focusing on recovering the firearms and any additional evidence related to the gang’s activities. Due to the potential use of illegal arms and interstate crime links, Bengaluru Police Commissioner transferred the case to the Central Crime Branch (CCB) under the supervision of DCP (Crime-2) Raj Imam Qasim.
The joint operation was carried out under the guidance of IPS officers C. Vamshikrishna (Joint Commissioner, West), Akshay Machindra (in-charge DCP, Central Division), and Raj Imam Qasim (DCP, Crime-2). Key field officials included ACP Prakash R (Sheshadripuram), Police Inspectors Balakrishna R (Sheshadripuram), Farooq Pasha (Wilson Garden), Shankargowda Basanagowda (Vyalikaval), Jamir M. Awati (Sadashivanagar), and CCB officers Prakash S.J. and Sunil Belavatgi.
The successful detection of the case within 48 hours highlights the coordination and effectiveness of Bengaluru Police and CCB units in tackling interstate extortion and organized crime.
