City trader gets extortion call from ‘jailed gangster’

Ludhiana: A city-based trader has received an extortion call in the name of dreaded gangster Neeraj Banawa, who is lodged in Tihar Jail, with the caller demanding Rs 17 lakh if he wanted to save his life.
Nitin Goyal, who is into trading of imported machines, has lodged a complaint with the police. An inquiry has been marked in the matter.

Goyal, a resident of Barewal Road, claimed that on June 6, he received at least 30 to 40 WhatsApp calls from an international number. He picked up the call and the caller introduced himself as gangster Neeraj Bawana, lodged in Tihar Jail. The caller said someone had given him a contract of Rs 17 lakh to kill him. The caller said that he had enquired about him and found that he is a good person and therefore gave him an offer to save himself.
Inspector Jatinder Singh, in-charge, Ludhiana Cyber Cell, said the trader had received a call, however it has to be ascertained whether the call was made from Tihar jail. The initial probe suggested the involvement of some acquaintance in this case.
Following an inquiry, the police on Friday lodged an FIR under Sections 384 (extortion) and 34 (Act done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC against unidentified accused.
In the recent past, the Ludhiana police have got several such complaints in which cyber fraudsters had been calling people in the names of different gangsters to seek extortion. The city police had busted one such gang too.