Inspired by TV serial episode, Delhi duo extorts money using Dawood's name
New Delhi: Inspired by a popular TV crime show, two childhood friends allegedly became extortionists after facing financial crises due to losses in their businesses. Nitin Kochar, alias Bhaskar, a diploma holder in civil engineering, and his friend Rimple Luthra, both 35 years old, started demanding extortion money from South Delhi-based businessmen by posing as underworld don, Fazl-Ur-Rehman, a close aide of Dawood Ibrahim.
The two friends recently demanded Rs 50 lakh as protection money on behest of the D company from a businessman dealing in materials used in manufacturing of tyres. However, before they could succeed, a team of Delhi police crime branch officers nabbed them.
The police seized three mobile phones, 4 SIM cards and an i-20 car from them. Joint commissioner of police (crime) Ravindra Yadav said the friends took to extortion after getting inspired by an episode of the TV crime show. The two friends had learnt from the episode that any telephonic conversation lasting less than 40 seconds can never be traced by the police.
“The two friends had been using this trick while making extortion calls to their potential victims to avoid police attention. However, they did not know that the claims made in the TV serial were far from reality. We arrested them after putting their mobile numbers under electronic surveillance,” said a police officer, privy to the probe.
According to Yadav, Kochar and Luthra were arrested by a team led by DCP Bhisham Singh and ACP Sanjay Sehrawat following investigation into an extortion complaint filed by the businessman on June 13.
“The businessman alleged that he and his wife had received extortion calls of Rs 50 lakh from a person who had identified himself as underworld don Fazl-Ur-Rehman. Accordingly, a case was registered and investigation was taken up,” said Yadav.
During the investigation, Yadav said the police found that the extortionists were constantly changing their location to avoid the police dragnet.
(This story originally appeared in the Asian Age)
