The cases of extortion and death threats are on the rise and seeing that anyone can be in danger from jailed criminals, fear in the public runs high. Just last week, police in Punjab's Ferozepur registered a case of extortion, threat and criminal conspiracy against foreign-based terrorist Harvinder Singh Rinda and gangster Goldie Brar at Kulgarhi police station. Leaders, ministers and the general public in Punjab have all fallen victim to extortion incidents.
According to a report, terrorists and gangsters sitting abroad are running their own extortion network. They are creating fear in the trade and business community in Punjab. Data shows that 206 extortion FIRs were registered in 2022, while the same number of accused were arrested.
In 2023, 207 FIRs were registered and only 99 accused were arrested. So far this year, 90 extortion FIRs have been registered with only 22 arrests. 1,133 extortion and threat calls were reportedly made to people in Punjab. This also includes those calls about which the victims did not inform the police or did not take action out of fear. 480 such extortion and threat calls were made in 2022, about 512 in 2023 and 141 this year, i.e. 2024.
Gangster’s Henchmen act as the mediums
Gangsters are operating their rackets in while sitting abroad and run widely spanning extortion rackets. A police officer shared detailed information about their modus operandi on the condition of anonymity. He told that through their henchmen, they create fear in the heart of the victim.
While demanding ransom, real-time information about their family members’ and children’s activities is given and then the threat is made. In many cases, incidents of firing on houses also come to the fore. The victims are so scared that the accused are afraid of even filing a complaint with the police.
Terror of Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldie Brar
Extortion calls are not limited to the business class only. After the 2022 assembly elections, politicians who spent a lot of money and lost, have also received ransom calls. In fact, after the murder of Sidhu Moosewala in 2022, the maximum calls came for ransom in the name of gangster Lawrence and Goldie Brar.
After the murder of Sidhu Moosewala in 2022, incidents of ransom and extortion have reportedly increased in frequency. Of these, the most were demanded in the name of Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldie Brar. After this, about 1133 calls were of ransom and threat.
However, AIG Gurmeet Singh Chauhan of Punjab Anti Gangster Task Force (AGTF) said that due to police action on criminals involved in the extortion racket, there has been a decline in cases of extortion and threat calls. Police have made many arrests in such cases. Due to which such calls are decreasing.