Man arrested for demanding Rs 20 lakh from car showroom owner

New Delhi, May 10 (IANS) A 30-year-old man was arrested by police who had demanded Rs 20 lakh from a second-hand car showroom owner in west Delhi through a handwritten note, an official said on Friday.

The officials said that the accused, identified as Karan Dhingra, a resident of Rani Bagh, was aware of the recent incidents of extortion calls to car dealers and tried to take advantage of the situation.

The arrest came after a complaint was received on May 8 after he received an extortion letter at his showroom in Rajouri Garden through an Uber/Porter driver, wherein Rs 20 lakh was demanded and a further threat to kill was extended on not making the payment.

“The complainant also received two phone calls on May 7, wherein the caller warned the complainant of taking care of his life and belongings,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (west) Vichitra Veer.

During the probe and on the instance of the Uber/Porter driver, the place from where he picked the extortion letter from the accused was identified and more than 50 cameras in the vicinity were checked.

“Based on the CCTV footage and call details records, the accused Karan Dhingra was nabbed from Rani Bagh area,” said the DCP.

On interrogation, Dhingra disclosed that he hatched a plan to extort money from the complainant, taking advantage of the situation.

“In fact, after the firing incident that took place in the jurisdiction of Tilak Nagar police station at Fusion Car Showroom, the accused, Karan Dhingra, contacted the present complainant (Dream Toyz car showroom owner). We are investigating possible links of the accused to other incidents (backward linkage with gangsters). His involvement in other similar extortion cases is also being verified,” said the DCP.