Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh/Batala, February 23-
Batala Police has busted a major extortion racket being operated by USA-based Gangster Gurdev Jassal with the arrest of its two operatives including an ASI Surjit Singh posted in Batala and recovered Rs 83 lakh extortion money, illegal firearms, and luxury vehicles from their possession, said DGP Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Sunday. The other arrested operative has been identified as Ankus Maini, a resident of Kalanaur in Gurdaspur.
DGP said that preliminary investigation has revealed, on February 4, associates of Jassal opened fire at a petrol pump of a Kalanaur-based businessman with an intention to intimidate him and extort money from him. After
continuous threat calls and demand of Rs 1 crore as extortion money, the businessman eventually paid Rs 50
lakhs on February 11, he said.
He said that Jassal’s gang used foreign numbers for threats and coordinated payments, ensuring that the extortion funds were routed through multiple intermediaries. Probe revealed that ASI Surjit Singh and Ankus Maini were involved in the collection and distribution of extortion funds, he said.
The DGP informed that the accused ASI Surjit Singh has been dismissed from the service under article 311(2) of the Indian Constitution.