NEW DELHI: Minister of State External Affairs General VK Singh's wife Bharti Singh has filed an case against a man alleging that he was trying to extort Rs 2 crore by blackmailing her with “doctored audio and video clips to defame her husband”. In the FIR lodged at Tughlaq Road police station, she alleged that Pradeep Chauhan, a resident of Gurgaon, had even threatened her of “dire consequences” if the money was not paid.
Bharti Singh approached the Delhi Police with a complaint on last Friday after which a FIR was registered at Tughlaq Road police station. The accused, Pradeep Chauhan, was subsequently booked for extortion and criminal intimidation, but was yet to be arrested. An FIR was filed under Sections 384(extortion) and 506(criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code on August 12.
Police sources said Chauhan has been questioned twice, on Sunday and Monday, but no call has been taken on his arrest yet. Investigators said they were “treading cautiously” in the case as they were yet to collect the complete statements of both parties.
According to Vishwajeet Singh, the complainant’s family lawyer, the accused is a friend of Singh’s nephew and had visited their residence on a few occasions to seek “favours”.
It was during one of those visits that he may have recorded audio and video conversations, he alleged. Neither the lawyer, nor the complainant in her statement to police, claimed to be aware of the contents of the audio and video clips.
Chauhan repeatedly threatened the complainant with “dire consequences” on four to five occasions for days before she finally approached the police. The last of those calls was received around midnight on August 6, Vishwajeet Singh said.
The accused allegedly demanded Rs 2 crore from Singh to not make public “some doctored audio and video clips”. “He has threatened me that he will ruin my husband’s reputation,” said Bharti Singh in her complaint.
Calling Chauhan a “dangerous kind of person” who allegedly carries guns with him, Bharti Singh expressed fear for her safety and that of her two daughters since her husband frequently travels to other countries.
She also alleged that Chauhan posted a video on Youtube levelling “false allegations” against the minister in a bid to blackmail him.
Her lawyer told that in the Youtube video Chauhan had alleged his life was under threat from the union minister. “He has taken down the video now,” said the lawyer.
Chauhan was unreachable as his two mobile phone numbers were found switched off.
Senior police officers of New Delhi district remained tight-lipped on the episode. However, an investigator said that the accused has denied the allegations, but enquiry was on.