Ludhiana jeweller gets 'extortion' call from gangster posing as Lawrence Bishnoi's aide

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 1

A city-based jeweller allegedly received an extortion call from some international number and the caller posed himself as the main shooter of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who killed Punjabi singer-cum-politician Sidhu Moosewala.

The caller asked the jeweller to give Rs 5 lakh extortion money else threatened to kill him in a few days.

The jeweller yesterday lodged a complaint at the Police Division 4. For precautionary purpose, the police had asked PCR personnel to keep a tab outside the shop of the jeweller.

The jeweller, Ashish Puri, told the police that he owns a shop at Sarafa Bazaar in the name of Puri Diamonds. On June 19, he got an call through Internet from some international number but he did not attend it. On June 20, he again got a call from the international number. However, he ignored it, thinking it to be a fake call.

“On Thursday evening, I again got a call. The caller said he was a shooter of the Lawrance Bishnoi gang and he was one of the shooters who killed Moosewala. He asked me to give Rs 5 lakh extortion money, else he will kill me,” the jeweller alleged.

The caller also said his aides were aware about his exact location and he could easily got him killed anytime.

The jeweler said he went to the Police Division 4 where a policeman also made a video call from his number on the international number and the alleged caller also reportedly abused the cop during the call.

SHO SI Gurjit Singh said after receiving a complaint, the matter was sent to the cyber cell for the identification of the number and after completing preliminary probe, a case would be registered.

Most calls made in name of gangsters fake: Cop

About two weeks ago, the city police had busted a gang which had been extorting money from businessmen by posing themselves as members of the Lawrance Bishnoi and Goldy Brar gang. After Moosewala’s killing, some miscreants have started calling people of Punjab to extort money, as they think that people will give them extortion money without verifying the identity of the callers. Only one gang of a Canada-based gangster, Sukha Duneke, who had made an extortion call to a Ludhiana businessman was found to be genuine as the gangster also intimidated him by sending his gangsters, who fired at the victim. Under the supervision of JCP (City) Narinder Bhargav, seven members of his gang were nabbed by the Police Division 7 yesterday.

“People should not take such unknown international calls as callers impersonate themselves as gangsters and ninety nine per cent of the calls are fake,” said a senior police official.

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