Gurgaon: A junior intelligence officer (JIO) with the Intelligence Bureau (IB) has been arrested for allegedly sharing details of local businessmen with foreign-based gangsters, who later used the information to make extortion calls, Faridabad police said.
Arrest and Judicial Custody
JIO Sikandar was produced before a court on Tuesday, which sent him to 14 days of judicial custody after his arrest by the Sector 30 crime branch unit on Sunday. Sikandar, a resident of Mothuka village in Ballabgarh, allegedly shared information about businessmen with gangster Randeep Malik, a Panipat native believed to be operating from the United States. Malik, suspected to be a close associate of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, is wanted in multiple criminal cases.
Extortion Racket Network
Police suspect the extortion racket was operated through a network involving local contacts and foreign-based gangsters. The arrest was made during an investigation into an extortion and organized crime case registered at Sector 8 police station. Investigators found that confidential details of several businessmen, including liquor contractors, realtors, and property dealers, were allegedly passed on to gangsters operating from abroad.
According to sources, Sikandar was in contact with Faridabad-based businessman Deepak Goyal, who was arrested earlier in the same case. During the investigation, police learned that Goyal asked Sikandar to share victim details with foreign-based gangsters. After receiving the information, Malik and his associates contacted several businessmen in Faridabad and demanded extortion money.
Digital Evidence and Probe
Police are examining the nature of the information shared and the number of victims targeted using the leaked details. The probe gained momentum after investigators analyzed digital evidence and communication records. During questioning of the accused and scrutiny of electronic data, police established the alleged roles of Goyal, Sikandar, and Malik in the extortion network.
Sources said Malik was also the alleged mastermind behind twin low-intensity blasts outside two nightclubs in Chandigarh's Sector 26 in 2024. Investigators are now trying to ascertain whether additional businessmen's information was shared and whether more individuals were involved in facilitating the operation.
Ongoing Investigation
Officials said the investigation is underway to establish the full extent of the alleged nexus between local operatives and gangsters based abroad. The arrest of an Intelligence Bureau official has added a significant dimension to the case, with investigators examining whether the accused misused his position to access or collect information that was subsequently passed on to criminal elements.
