In the Ludhiana extortion case, Rajiv Raja, a close associate of Congress leader Ravneet Bittu and former Youth Congress president, was presented in court on 10th February. The police have sought a 2-day remand for further investigation.
As per ADCP Ramandeep Singh Bhullar, the police had previously arrested three accused in connection with an extortion case involving a businessman in Ludhiana. Following this, based on their statements, Rajiv Raja was later taken into custody. The extortion amount demanded was reportedly Rs 30 lakh.
As per reports, 37-year-old victim Ravish Gupta, a resident of Mall Enclave, told the police that for the last few days he was continuously receiving calls and messages on WhatsApp from an international number. The unknown caller demanded a ransom of Rs 30 lakh and threatened that if he did not do so, he would have to face serious consequences including death.
However, Rajiv Raja’s family claims that he has been falsely implicated. They said that he has no connection to the accused and was arrested without any concrete evidence. His family also alleged that they were not informed about which police station had taken him into custody.
MoS Ravneet Bittu said that Rajiv Raja is my friend. He is a businessman and has been falsely implicated in this case. "I received a call from Rajiv Raja's family who informed me about this incident. Police have arrested two criminals. Raja's name has been extracted from their mouth and he has been falsely implicated in this case," said Ravneet Bittu.
In addition, his family members have claimed that this is an act of political revenge, suggesting that Ravneet Bittu’s statements following his Delhi election victory might have led to administrative action against his close associates.
They also highlighted that another close aide of Bittu was recently arrested in Patiala, raising questions about the motives behind these actions. The case continues to develop further as the police investigation is underway.