Hoshiarpur (Punjab), Apr 18 (PTI) Police have arrested three accused in connection with a fake extortion plot, which a man in Mukerian district allegedly masterminded to secure government-provided gunmen for personal security.

According to police, an FIR was recently registered at Mukerian police station based on a complaint by Rohit Sharma, who is originally from Pandori village in Kapurthala district but had been residing in Mukerian.

The complainant had alleged that he received extortion threats and that unidentified persons fired gunshots outside his house on April 9 night.

Acting on the complaint, multiple police teams were formed to investigate the case. They analysed CCTV footage, and a scooter used in the firing was traced. It eventually led to the arrest of an accused, Amardeep Singh alias Shubham of Pandori, on April 14.

  During interrogation, Amardeep revealed that Rohit, who returned to Mukerian from Spain about eight to nine months ago, conspired with his elder brother Vikas Sharma, residing in the USA, to stage the extortion threats.  The motive behind the plot by Rohit, who claims to be a lyricist and writer, was to project a threat perception to obtain gunmen for personal security, Amardeep told police.

Per the plan, one Gurlal Singh, also residing in the USA, allegedly made threatening calls to both Rohit and his brother. His accomplices fired gunshots outside Rohit’s house to lend credibility to the fake narrative.

After these revelations, two more accused, Akash of Bhopur Saida and Vinod Singh of Talwandi Deena Nath, were arrested on April 14.  Meanwhile, mastermind Rohit, his brother Vikas, Gurlal, Jobanpreet Singh of Talwandi, and Surinder Singh of Avan have also been booked.  Efforts are underway to apprehend the remaining accused, police said. PTI COR SUN AMJ AMJ AMJ