Punjab residents, especially the businessmen, have been frequently receiving extortion calls from unknown callers who pose themselves as dreaded gangsters, demand a whopping sum of extortion, or else threaten to kill the victims and their families. Many people believe in the claims of callers and even give money to the gangsters.
The names of gangsters like Goldy Brar, Lawrence Bishnoi, Goru Bacha and Kaushal Chaudhary, etc., are being commonly used by local goons to make extortion calls. Some make calls by posing as members of the gangs of these known gangsters.
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav urged the residents to immediately inform the police if they ever receive any extortion calls.
“I can firmly say that 80 to 90 per cent extortion calls are fake, which are made by local criminals who either pose themselves as some gangsters or member of some notorious gang. People should immediately report such calls on our Anti Gangster Helpline and the police will take immediate and strict action on every such call,” asserted the DGP.
He said Punjab has zero tolerance towards organised crime and gangsters. If anyone indulges in crime, the Punjab Police will take stern action against such persons.
“Whether these gangsters or miscreants are sitting abroad or anywhere in the country, the Punjab Police will catch them and send them to jail. Even the Punjab police have brought gangsters from abroad who spread crime in Punjab,” he added.
Yadav urged the youths that they should not to fall prey to such gangsters operating from abroad. Youths should pay heed to education and employment.
DGP solicited public support to end organised crime in the state.
A senior police official requesting anonymity said police usually register cases against the gangsters and their associates lodged in different jails across the country based on the complaints lodged by complainants. Police even bring them on a production warrant for questioning, but in 90 per cent cases, the role of such criminals could not be established behind the extortion calls.
Even in the incidents involving firing at the business places of complainants following the extortion calls to them by dreaded gangsters in Ludhiana district in the past, police had brought them on production warrant for questioning from the jails across the country, but their role could not be established behind the calls or firing during questioning.
Police then left with no option but to discharge such gangsters from the court later.
However, about 10 percent of calls are genuinely made by gangsters.
Khanna police registered some cases against gangster Doni Bal, who made calls to more than seven businessmen and even sent his men to fire shots at the places of victims who refused to give extortion money.
