Four held for trying to blackmail, extort money from Kashmiri doctor in Kolkata

Four persons have been arrested here for allegedly trying to blackmail and extort money from a Kashmiri doctor practising in the city, a senior police officer said on Monday.

He said the doctor on Friday received a call from a Dumdum-based woman who complained of severe chest pain and requested him to visit her residence.

After reaching the woman's house, the doctor started checking her previous prescriptions but she suddenly embraced him, the officer said.

Soon, three persons, claiming to be policemen, barged into the room and forced the doctor to undress. They then took several photographs of the doctor with the woman, he said.

The accused threatened the victim to pay them Rs 10 lakh or else his pictures would be posted on social media. The victim requested the men to accompany him to his house as he was not carrying such a large amount of money, the officer said.

Two of the three men then went to doctor's residence with him.

On reaching there, the doctor took Rs 5,15,000 and his wife's jewellery worth around Rs 5 lakh to handover to the two men, but also managed to inform the police, the officer said.

He said the police reached the spot and nabbed the two men.

Later, the other accused, including the woman, surrendered at a city court, the officer said.

A police uniform was recovered from the house of one of the accused, he said.

All the four accused have been granted bail, the officer said, adding that an investigation into the matter was on.