The Delhi Police has busted a gang of extortionists, headed by a lawyer, posing themselves as the members of Human Rights Commission to extort money from liquor shops in the capital.
According to the reports, a lawyer and his five aides have been arrested by the Delhi Police. The main accused had also employed two armed PSOs and bouncers to look genuine as he extorted money from liquor shop owners accusing them of selling liquor to minors. The accused threatened the liquor shop owners of cancelling the license if they do not pay up.
The incident came to light when police were informed that at Select City Mall in south Delhi, some suspicious persons came to a wine shop in South Park Mall and identified themselves as “International Human Rights Commission”. The extortionists had demanded money from the store manager claiming that they sold liquor to minors.
The accused had threatened the shop manager saying that they were selling liquor to persons below 25 years of age and as a proof, he brought in a person who purchased alcohol just a few minutes ago but whose age was below 25.
The extortionists would charge the liquor shop owners with committing offences under the Excise Act and the JJ Act and demanded Rs 2 lakh not to register a case.
Upon investigation, the police found that they ran a similar modus operandi, a wine shop in Saidullajab area of south Delhi, and had extorted Rs 40,000 to settle this issue. The police have recovered a car from the accused that had a nameplate reading National Secretary (Legal Cell), International Human Rights Organisation, fixed over the number plate.
The arrested accused are identified as Kumar Shashank, Naresh, Pardeep Neeraj, Nitin and Shatrughan. The accused Shashank stated that he worked as a legal advisor in an NGO named International Human Rights Organisation in New Delhi. He has hired an Ertiga taxi with driver for Rs 50,000 per month, two armed PSOs for Rs 32,000 per month each and one bouncer for Rs 25,000 per month for this extortion racket.