Youth held for extorting doctor in Delhi

A 19-year-old youth has been arrested here for making extortion calls to a doctor demanding Rs.10 lakh from him, police said Thursday.

Dheeraj Bhardwaj, who indulged in the extortion ostensibly to end his family's poor financial condition, was arrested Wednesday night from Najafgarh in west Delhi.

Inspired by a south Indian movie, the youth along with a juvenile planned to extort the doctor, who practices at a prominent hospital in central Delhi and who he had met once during treatment.

Bhardwaj, during interrogation, told police that he shot photographs of the doctor, trailed him to his residence and also took photographs of his family members, said Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Chand.

Posing as an underworld don 'Salim', the youth made several calls to the doctor and demanded Rs.10 lakh, threatening to kill his family members, he said.

Bhardwaj said his family was facing financial hardship and was in debt.

Police probed the matter when the doctor approached them after receiving the first extortion call May 19.