Moga SSP Gulneet Singh Khurana on Sunday said that persons who allegedly made ransom and threat calls to some local residents while posing as gangsters lodged in Nabha jail, have been identified.
Two Moga residents – Raj Kumar Makhija, resident of Dashmesh Nagar and husband of Moga MC councillor, and one Nishan Singh, resident of Nigaha Road – had alleged that they received ransom calls from abroad in which the callers introduced themselves as gangsters lodged in Nabha jail and demanded Rs 15 lakh as ransom.
SSP Khurana said that police investigation has found that the calls were not made by any gangsters lodged in Nabha jail but by acquaintances of the victims who were earlier living in Moga but are now settled in Canada.
“The ransom call to Makhija was made by Harjit Singh alias Jeeta, who was his former neighbour and is currently settled in Canada. Similarly, Gurjant Singh alias Sonu, also currently settled abroad, had made a call to Nishan Singh. Earlier they asked for Rs 5 lakh or so, but later they started demanding Rs 15 lakh as ransom. We are probing what was the motive behind these calls,” said the SSP.
Police have registered an FIR under Sections 387, 120-B and 506 of the IPC at Moga city south police station on the complaint of Nishan Singh and are investigating further.