Three arrested for trying to extort Rs 1 lakh from Gondal trader

RAJKOT: Three persons were arrested on Friday for allegedly extorting Rs 1 lakh from a trader in Chunara Sheri locality of Gondal in Rajkot district on Thursday.
Police said the accused, Azruddin Saiyed (30), Sikandar Memon (27) and Shehzad Memon (25), allegedly demanded the money from Chandrakant Tanna (54), saying they had been given a contract to kill him. And if Tanna wanted to save himself, he would have to pay the accused Rs 1 lakh.
According to the police, Tanna is into wholesale business of sugar and edible oil. On the fateful day, Saiyed came to Tanna’s shop in the afternoon and asked him to accompany him, telling him that he had some work with him.
Saiyed drove Tanna on his motorcycle to the compound of Sangramsinhji High School, where Sikandar and Shehzad were waiting for them.
Sikandar told Tanna about his ‘supari’ (contract to kill) and demanded the money to spare him. Then the accused dropped Tanna back at his shop. They then called Tanna twice in the evening, demanding the money.
“When Tanna discussed about the issue with his fellow traders, one of them told him that he had similarly fallen prey to this gang and that Sikandar had asked him to cough up Rs 25,000, telling him that he had got a supari to break his legs.
The trader said as one of his friends knew Sikandar and he told him not to harass him, the gangsters stopped his harassment.
“Hearing this, Tanna decided to lodge a complaint against the accused,” said K N Ramanuj, inspector with Gondal city police station.
The accused were arrested from their residences in Gondal.