Man, 46, held in Rohini for giving extortion calls to businessmen

New Delhi, Jul 11 (PTI) A 46-year-old man was arrested for allegedly threatening and trying to extort money from three businessmen in Delhi’s Burari and Rohini areas by using a “spoofing” app, police said on Tuesday.

The arrested man has been identified as Vikas Sharma, a resident of Rama Vihar in Begumpur, they said.

According to police, the matter came to light on June 29 after a jewellery shop owner filed a complaint alleging that a man called him and threatened him to pay him Rs 15 lakh.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi said police found that the caller had been making calls from different numbers through some app.

“It was also found that similar threats were given to two other businessmen in Rohini,” he said.

The officer said when they matched the three complaints they found that the location the caller gave for the delivery of money was within one km from each other.

“The threats were given in name of Neetu Pehalwan of Neetu Dhabodiya gang,” he said.

Since threats were made through voice calls, police investigated their sources and found that they were routed via Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, which was contacted for gathering of more details, the DCP said.

“It was found that calls were received in India from different servers of Dubai and United States of America via Delhi, Chennai, Thane, and Ernakulum,” he added.

Police’s first attempt to nab the criminal was foiled when they lurked in his wait having dropped a bag full of money at Begumpur chowk, but no one came to pick it up.

Subsequently, another attempt was made to deliver money.

According to the DCP, police started tracing the VOIP calls and movement of a suspected number which started moving from Begumpur to Prashant Vihar.

On the basis of technical surveillance, the suspect was nabbed, who turned out to be the alleged extortionist, he said.