Baramulla, July 27: Police on Friday said they arrested three extortionists in separate cases of demanding money for unlawful gains in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
The arrests were made as part of the police department’s ongoing efforts to combat corruption and protect citizens from falling victim to such scams, a police official told Rising Kashmir.
He said police apprehended two individuals – Ashiq Hussain Ganai and Manzoor Ahmed Bhat. “The duo, claiming affiliation with a political party, had allegedly approached the family of a person named Athar Alie Shiekh who was in custody since 2022 for a murder case. The extortionists demanded a staggering sum of Rs 5 lakh to secure his release,” he added.
Upon receiving the money from the complainant who had to sell land to fulfill the demand, the accused failed to deliver on their promise, the official said. “When the complainant sought the return of his money, they threatened him with dire consequences, even going so far as to warn of implicating the detainee in multiple cases.”
In response, a case FIR No. 152/2023 u/s 384, 420, 506 IPC was registered at Police Station Baramulla. The police official said that one of the accused, Ashiq Ganaie, also known as Ashiq MLA, held the position of a councilor at the Municipal Corporation of Baramulla. The third accused, Ashiq Hussain Lone, is currently absconding, but authorities are actively pursuing his arrest, he said.
In a separate incident, police foiled an extortion attempt related to the illegal extraction and transportation of sand in Chakloo Baramulla.
A police official said that Muneer Ahmad Bala had filed a complaint against Nadeem Ahmad Mir, who had allegedly extorted money from him under the guise of paying off regulatory authorities to facilitate illegal activities.
“Acting promptly on the complaint, the Baramulla Police registered a case FIR No. 134/2023 u/s 420 IPC and launched an investigation into the matter,” he said.
The officer-in-charge, Inspector Vilayat Hussain of Police Station Baramulla, led the operation that resulted in the immediate arrest of the accused.
“If anyone experiences any attempt to solicit bribes for police-related matters, they are encouraged to report it directly to SSP Baramulla, Amod Ashok Nagpure-IPS, at mobile number 7051000999,” the police official said.
