Laptop, mobile of 'extortionist' seized from city lodge

Image
Press Trust of India Kolkata
Last Updated : Feb 14 2017 | 9:22 PM IST
Kolkata Police today claimed to have seized the laptop and mobile phone of an alleged extortionist, who was making threat calls to people including a former MP from Bihar, from a lodge here.
Acting on a tip-off that an extortion racket was being operated from a lodge in Muchipara police station limits, the police raided it last week and recovered a laptop and a mobile but the accused was absconding, DC Central Akhilesh Chaturvedi told reporters.
Initial investigations revealed that extortion calls and texts were sent to former Bihar MP Devendra Pratap Yadav and that was later confirmed when the politician was contacted by the investigators, he said.
"We had rang up Mr Yadav who confirmed receiving the call for extortion of around Rs five crore or the caller will release video footage purportedly showing the leader accepting money," he said.
The room in the lodge was found locked from outside and the occupant was not found there.
"We waited for him to come back but when he did not return, we broke open the door of the room and found one laptop and a mobile phone," Chaturvedi said.
Later, police found that the photo identity proof produced by the occupant of the room, known as Bikram Singh, was fake, he said.
A case has been lodged with Muchipara Police Station against an unknown person under Indian Penal Code Sections 385 (putting person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion) and 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation).
A police officer, who refused to be quoted, said that video footages of former Narada news CEO Mathew Samuel were found in the laptop.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Feb 14 2017 | 9:22 PM IST

Next Story