Another resident gets extortion call from Dubai-based gangster Billa
Despite the police action on foreign-based gangsters, cases of extortion continue unabated in the city. The Punjab Police are facing a huge challenge to nail such criminals. In the latest instance, three armed bike-borne persons fired outside a bakery in Chawinda Devi village falling under the Kathunangal police station here.
The owner had a narrow escape in the incident. The victim, Chandan Sunder, of the village had been getting an extortion call from Dubai-based gangster Jobanjit Singh, alias Billa Arjanmanga, from a virtual number. He demanded Rs 40 lakh extortion from him.
In addition, the police also booked Billa Arjanmanga’s brother Gurwinder Singh who was currently lodged in the Amritsar Central Jail, apart from three unknown shooters.
Chandan Sunder told the police that he has been running a bakery in the village for the past six years and he lives on the upper floor of the shop. He said on July 3, he got a call from a foreign number in which the caller identified himself as Arjanmanaga and demanded Rs 40 lakh extortion. He said he took it as some mischievous act. He said four day later, he again got a call in which the caller threatened to shoot him in case he did not fulfill his extortion demand while giving him time till July 10.
Yesterday, he was present at the counter of his shop when three motorcycle-borne persons came from the Kathunangal side and the pillion rider shot at the shop and fled towards Dhade village. Immediately, after firing, he again got a call in which gangster Arjanmanga threatened that it was a trailer only, next time the bullets would not miss the target. He threatened to hand over the amount to his brother Gurwinder Singh’s men.
Police teams recovered four empty shells from the spot and registered a case of attempt to murder, firing and arms act against Billa Arjanmanga, his brother Gurwinder and their three unknown operatives.
On July 7, the duo was booked for demanding an extortion of Rs 30 lakh from a small grocery store owner, Ranjit Kumar, of Udoke Kalan village.
On May 18, they had demanded Rs 50 lakh extortion from Lovepreet Singh, alias Love, of Sarli Kalan village in Tarn Taran. His name has appeared in a number of extortion cases in the rural belt in the recent past.
Amritsar