BHAWANIPATNA: Narla police in Kalahandi district arrested a 24-year-old youth on Tuesday for allegedly trying to extort Rs 35 lakh from his contractor father by sending him a threatening letter in the name of Maoists.
The accused is Ankush Agarwal of Rupra Road area under Narla police limits. Police said Ankush had written the letter to his father Dinesh Agarwal, a prominent contractor involved in projects of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS), in a bid to extort money from him.
On October 7, Dinesh found the extortion letter in his car issued in the name of Maoists. The letter reportedly threatened to eliminate his entire family if he failed to give Rs 35 lakh extortion money. The contractor and his family members became terrified after finding the letter and the same evening, Dinesh filed a complaint in Narla police station in this connection.
On basis of the complaint, police registered a case and started investigation. The contractor’s family members including his son Ankush were questioned. The son came under police radar after he reportedly failed to give satisfactory answers.
Kesinga sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Sandip Majhi said Ankush was subjected to intense grilling during which he confessed to the crime. The accused revealed that he had himself drafted the extortion letter and dropped it in his father’s car. He was planning to spend the money on lavish lifestyle.
Majhi said the accused was subsequently arrested. He was produced in the court at M Rampur on Tuesday evening and remanded in judicial custody. Further investigation is underway to ascertain if other individuals assisted the accused in the crime.