Extortion gang busted, key player held

Delhi Police has claimed to have arrested a key member of an extortion gang that took about Rs.82 lakh from businessmen in the national capital and Haryana in separate cases.

Arvind Kadyan, 28, one of the members of the gang active here for more than three years, was arrested on Sunday from Najafgarh in western Delhi.

The gang had recently extorted Rs.40 lakh from property dealer Mahender Yadav who belongs to Nangloi in Delhi.

Mahender was "honey-trapped" by a female member of the gang, who made contact with him in December last year on the pretext of selling him her flat, the police said.

"Mahender was abducted at gun point by other three members of the gang when he accompanied the woman to her flat. They held him captive and forced him to call his family members to tell them to arrange Rs.50 lakh urgently for him to strike a property deal," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Sanjeev Yadav said.

"Mahender's family could only manage Rs.40 lakh. The gang collected the money from Mahender's family. Before his release, they made a video showing him in compromising positions with the woman. Mahender was told that the video would go viral if he informed the police," the officer said.

However, Mahender did report the matter to the police. The police then started its investigation leading to the arrest of Arvind Kadyan.

Kadyan told police that he along with his associates Sandeep, Akash, Rinku and Suman, the female member, had executed the extortion plan.

He also told the police that the gang had been involved in other such cases.

"They had extorted over Rs.42 lakh from three different businessmen of Haryana by using the same modus operandi," the officer said.

Kadyan said the gang included one Ramesh Tiwari and Ajay and used a minor girl as well, the officer added.