160 extortion calls in 300 days: Delhi businessmen threatened every other day

New Delhi: Businessmen in Delhi are experiencing restless nights, having received around 160 extortion calls till October this year, averaging one call every other day, police sources said on Tuesday.

The majority of these calls originate from foreign-based gangsters or their associates, using Voice Over Internet Protocol or international phone numbers, they said.

According to the sources, the calls were received mostly by builders and property dealers, jewellers, and owners of sweet shops and car showrooms across the city.

Around 160 extortion calls to businessmen have been reported till October (around 300 days) this year. In some cases, the calls were followed by firing outside the house or the office of the targeted individual, a source said.

Last week, seven such cases were reported in just four days where gangsters targeted a jeweller, gym owner, property dealer, sweet shop owner and a motor workshop owner among others.

In one such incident reported from Rohini on November 5, three men entered a showroom and fired in the air. They left behind an extortion note with the names of gangsters and an amount written on it.

"Yogesh Dahia, Fajje Bhai and Monti Mann and Rs 10 crore", said the note.

In another case on November 7, a call was made by an international number demanding Rs 7 crore from a gym owner in Nangloi. The caller claimed to be associated with jailed gangster Deepak Boxer, who is an associate of Lawrence Bishnoi.

In all the seven cases, FIRs have been registered and separate teams of the Special Cell and Crime Branch are working to nab the culprits, a police officer said.

According to the Delhi Police's statistics accessed by PTI, a total of 133 extortion cases were reported from across the national capital till August 15, this year.

A total of 141 such cases were reported during the same period last year and the figure for 2022 was 110, according to the statistics.

Police said 204 cases of people getting extortion calls were reported throughout 2023 and 187 in 2022.

A police officer, who handles such cases, said the callers mostly use VOIP numbers or WhatsApp numbers taken on fake SIM cards.

Sources said police have identified 11 gangs involved in making the extortion calls as well as shootings and murders in the national capital region in the last few months.

The gangs include Lawrence Bishnoi-Goldy Brar, Himanshu Bhau, Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu, Jitender Gogi-Sampat Nehra, Hashim Baba, Sunil Tillu, Kaushal Chaudhary, Neeraj Faridpuria and Neeraj Bawana.

Except for Gogi and Tillu, who died due to gang rivalry, the majority of these gangsters are behind bars or based abroad, police said.