The Special Detective Unit (SDU) of Kaithal police has cracked a Rs 2 crore extortion case from Pundri, uncovering that the complainant himself orchestrated the scheme to secure police protection. Both the jeweller and his associate have been arrested.
Case Details and Initial Complaint
Ravi Verma, owner of Lovely Jewellers in Pundri and a resident of Fatehpur Pundri, filed a complaint with Kaithal Superintendent of Police Manpreet Singh Sudan on June 16. He alleged receiving a WhatsApp call from a foreign number on June 13, with the caller threatening to kill him and demanding Rs 2 crore as extortion.
Taking the complaint seriously, the SP directed the SDU to investigate and apprehend the accused. The police team, with assistance from the Cyber Cell, conducted an extensive technical and factual investigation.
Investigation Breakthrough
During the investigation, police discovered the allegations were false. The breakthrough came when the SDU team arrested Devender, a resident of Sirsal, from the Rajound area on June 28, in possession of an illegal country-made pistol. A separate case under the Arms Act was registered against him, and he was taken into three days of police custody for interrogation.
Devender has a criminal history with 11 cases registered against him, including offences under the Arms Act, robbery, and murder. According to SDU in-charge Inspector Sunil Kumar, during questioning, Devender allegedly confessed that he made the extortion call to Ravi Verma using a foreign WhatsApp number at Ravi’s own request. He further disclosed that Ravi had paid him to make the threatening call to create a false narrative and secure police protection.
Arrest of the Complainant
Later, police arrested complainant Ravi Verma for allegedly misleading the police and misusing government resources. Inspector Sunil Kumar stated that the jeweller's actions wasted police resources and undermined the credibility of genuine complaints.
The case highlights the misuse of police security protocols and the importance of thorough investigation. The SDU's efforts, including technical analysis by the Cyber Cell, were instrumental in exposing the conspiracy.
