NEW DELHI: The Crime Branch of Delhi Police has arrested a 51-year-old man who had gone absconding after extorting Rs 5 crore from a Delhi-based businessman by posing as an officer of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).
The accused, identified as Ram Kumar, was also carrying a reward of Rs 20,000 on his head. Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) RS Yadav said in October 2022, a case was registered on the complaint of one person alleging that on October 19, 2022, four unknown people had entered his house claiming to be the officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).
“They threatened to implicate him in a false case and demanded Rs 5 crore. Due to threat and fear, the complainant arranged Rs 50 lakh and gave it to the accused persons,” the official said. He said that during the investigation, three accused persons named Ashish, Vijay, and Anurag were arrested by the local police.
The accused Ram Kumar was identified in the CCTV footage wearing a safari suit. However, he was evading his arrest and was later declared a proclaimed offender by a local Court. “The accused Ram Kumar was changing his location repeatedly in order to evade his arrest. After regular technical surveillance, the presence of the accused was found in the area of Netaji Subhash Place, Delhi and he was arrested,” the official said.
Sharing the brief history of the accused, Yadav said Ram Kumar was even selected as the Block Chairman of Ganaur, Sonepat, Haryana way back in 2010. “He was doing property dealing business in the area of Rohini, Delhi for the past one year. He then came in touch with one Ashish who is a second-hand car dealer. Ashish told the accused Ram Kumar that if they could pose as DRI officials then they can extort money from one hawala operator named Gaurav (complainant),” the official said.
In this planning of extortion, Ram Kumar also involved two friends namely Vijay and Anurag and all the four accused successfully extorted Rs 50 lakh from the complainant.