By IANS,
Srinagar : The Jammu and Kashmir police Friday busted an extortion racket in Srinagar that had been demanding large amounts of money from the city’s businessmen and other well-to-do persons and threatening them with death.
The racket fell into the police trap as one of its men made a call to his victim from a public call office (PCO) in the city.
Ashiq Hussain Bukhari, senior superintendent of police in Srinagar, said the Zadibal police station had formed a special investigating team (SIT) following a complaint.
Using tracking systems, the SIT zeroed in on the various landline numbers, including STD booths, from where the threat calls seeking huge ransoms were being made, he told reporters.
Mohammad Rafiq Gulab of Abi Buchwara Dalgate was nabbed red-handed while he was making another threat call to the complainant from a local PCO near the government central market, he said.
Rafiq led the police to the gang leader Ghulam Mohidin Dar of the same area.
One Chinese pistol, live rounds and some fired cartridges were recovered, the police officer added.