BSc Student Arrested in Haridwar for Rs 30 Lakh Extortion Plot Using Lawrence Bishnoi Gang's Name

Haridwar Police Senior Superintendent confirmed the arrest of Ashish Saini in connection with an extortion case. (Representational)

Dehradun:

Authorities in Uttarakhand have apprehended a BSc student from Haridwar for allegedly attempting to extort Rs 30 lakh from a local businessman by falsely claiming association with the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang, according to police officials.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pramod Singh Dobal of Haridwar revealed that the arrested student, Ashish Saini from Bahadrabad, collaborated with his accomplice Ajay Hooda, who issued threatening calls from Armenia. Hooda, originally from Rohtak in Haryana, is currently employed in Armenia.

The investigation began after businessman Ravi Kumar, who operates a vehicle agency, filed a formal complaint on October 30. Kumar reported receiving threatening phone calls from an individual claiming to be a member of the Bishnoi gang, demanding Rs 30 lakh.

Following the complaint, authorities registered a case against unidentified persons under Section 308(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which addresses attempted extortion through death threats or threats of grievous harm.

The collaborative investigation by Haridwar police and the Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU) traced the threatening communications to Armenia. Further investigation revealed that Hooda was using the foreign number while maintaining regular contact with a phone number in Bahadrabad, Uttarakhand.

When questioned by police, Saini admitted to conspiring with Hooda to extort money from the businessman. Their strategy involved making ransom calls from abroad, believing this would complicate the police's ability to trace the calls.

Investigators discovered that Saini had provided Hooda with the mobile numbers of both Ravi Kumar and his brother, which were subsequently used to make the extortion calls.

The SSP confirmed that while Saini has been arrested, authorities are now taking steps to initiate legal proceedings to extradite Hooda back to India.