Union Minister of State (MoS) Ranveet Bittu's close aide Rajiv Raja was arrested by Punjab Police in an alleged ransom case in Ludhiana. Ravneet's Bittu's close aide Rajiv Raja has been accused of demanding Rs 30 lakh in ransom and hence, he and two other youths have been arrested. After Rajiv Raja's arrest, Ravneet Bittu accused the Punjab Government of doing vendetta politics.
What are the allegations against Rajiv Raja, Ravneet Bittu's close aide?
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.
Acting promptly on Gupta's complaint, the Division Number 8 police registered an FIR against unknown accused under sections 308(4) (extortion) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (BNS).
Investigating the case, the police arrested Rajiv Raja and two others on Sunday. For those who are unaware, Rajiv Raja is a former Youth Congress district president. He had left the party soon after Ravneet Singh Bittu joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) before the Lok Sabha elections, but he did not join any party.
Ravneet Bittu's reaction to Rajiv Raja's arrest
MoS Ravneet Bittu said that Rajiv Raja is my friend. He is a businessman. He 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 Bittu.
After the arrest of Rajiv Raja, Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu slammed Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. Bittu said that I knew in the morning itself what was going on in Ludhiana. Aam Aadmi Party has lost badly in Delhi. Bittu further said that after the session ends, "I myself will go and surrender outside Chief Minister Mann's kothi."
The MoS claimed that Ludhiana police had raided 10 places. Police are raiding my close ones and implicating youth in false cases.
More on Rajiv Raja Case
As per reports, police have started the investigation by keeping many numbers in Rajiv Raja's phone under suspicion. Police have made a list of many suspicious numbers. Their CDR (call detail record) is being retrieved. Many people are on the police radar in this case. Police have been collecting Raja's data of last more than 6 months. Senior police officers interrogated him till late at night.
In November 2022, Rajiv Raja himself said in the media that he had received death threats on a video call on Facebook Messenger. The caller has shown him an AK 47. At that time, Rajiv Raja, who was terrified, reached the Police Commissioner's office with his wife and children and after filing a complaint there, he also announced to leave the city. He had said that this was not the first time that I had received death threats. He has already complained about this to the police.