Ludhiana salon owner nabs ‘fake cop’
Man arrested for posing as inspector to extort money from businesses in Ludhiana. Used licensed pistol to threaten victims. FIR lodged, hunt on for accomplice.
Division Number 5 police arrested a man for allegedly posing as an inspector to extort money from multiple hotels, eateries and spa centres. The accused, Gurpreet Singh, 33 of Mansuran village, was nabbed by a salon owner as he, along with an aide, tried to extort money. His aide managed to escape.
According to police, the accused used to pose as a constable deputed at special branch to extort money. Officials said he worked as a bouncer earlier and then as a private driver with a tehsildar. Police have recovered a licensed .32-bore pistol from his possession. The accused threatened the victims using the pistol.
A first information report (FIR) has been lodged following the complaint of Shekh Sonu of Prem Nagar, who owns a salon near Dhyan Singh Complex near Amar Shaheed Sukhdev Thapar inter-state bus stand.
The complainant said he was at his salon when two men came in police uniform. One of the accused introduced himself as constable Pawandeep Singh and demanded ₹5,000. They also threatened to pay them ₹5,000 per month if he wanted to run his salon. The accused threatened to implicate him in a case as well, the complainant alleged.
Shekh added that he suspected that the accused was not police personnel and him. He later informed the police.
Division Number 5 station-house officer (SHO) inspector Jagjit Singh said the accused misused his licensed weapon to extort money. He said Gurpreet had stitched the police uniform and started extorting money from hotels, spa centres and other shop owners.
An FIR under sections 170 (personating a public servant), 384 (extortion), 506 (criminal intimidation), 419 (cheating by personation), 188 (disobedience to orders duly promulgated by public servant), 34 (act done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections of the Arms Act has been registered against the accused.
The inspector added that a hunt is one for the arrest of the rest of the accused.
