Five arrested for firing at businessman in Udhna

Surat: Five people were arrested by Udhna police on Saturday for allegedly firing two rounds at a businessman in his office and making an extortion call to another on June 19. The accused had planned to scare the businessman from whom they planned to extort Rs 2 crore, but by mistake fired at a person who was sitting in a neighbouring office.
Police arrested Yogeshwar Maisuriya, a resident of Palsana in Surat district; his associates Sacchu alias Karan Ram Avtar Fakira Rai; Prakhar Khanna, Jigar Patel; and a 17-year-old minor. The accused planned to extort Rs2 crore from an edible oil businessman Bhikhamchand Jain. But in a case of mistaken identity, they fired at Ashok Shah, an electrical goods businessman. The offices of Shah and Jain are located on the ground floor of Silicon Shoppers in Udhna.

Rai has a criminal background. Khanna came to know him at a tea shop. They had also met Jigar at the tea shop. The minor was employed as a domestic help at Khanna’s house.

Police investigation revealed that Rai had asked Maisuriya, a property broker, to suggest a person from whom they can extort money. Maisuriya suggested Jain’s name. Jain had got an apartment on rent for his friend with Maisuriya’s help.

“Jain and his friend demanded a furnished apartment. Maisuriya had forced the property owner to provide furniture to the tenant. However, the property was vacated within a couple of months by Jain’s friend. Maisuriya thus was angry with Jain,” a police officer said.

Maisuriya tipped off Rai about Jain’s wealth. The accused later looted a mobile phone from VIP Road and also stole a motorcycle from near the railway station.

The case was detected through closed circuit television cameras installed at Bhatar crossroads in which two assailants were seen talking to the other two. Rai had gone to fire with a country-made pistol purchased for Rs40,000. The pistol has been recovered from the accused.

“We detected the case in a short time and have arrested all the accused. They had fired at Shah by mistake when actually they wanted to terrify Jain,” city police commissioner Satish Sharma said.