Najafgarh businessman receives Rs 2 crore extortion demand from UK-based gangster

NEW DELHI: A 49-year-old businessman from Najafgarh has received an extortion demand of Rs 2 crore and death threats. A caller, claiming to be UK-based gangster Kapil Sangwan, alias Nandu, threatened to kill the businessman and his family if the demand wasn't met.The businessman, who owns a furniture shop in Najafgarh, received a nine-minute WhatsApp call around 3pm on May 5. The caller, speaking in Hindi, allegedly said, "I am Nandu speaking, you are speaking from the furniture shop, right? We will get 25-30 bullets fired at your shop. We know where your family goes. If you don't give Rs 2 crore, we will kill you."The businessman further stated that the caller claimed to have harmed others who refused to meet his demands. Just 13 minutes after the initial threatening call, the businessman received a barrage of nine threatening text messages on his mobile phone. These messages reiterated the earlier death threats and also contained specific references to his family's daily routines and movements.Immediately after receiving these threats, the businessman went to the Najafgarh police station to file a formal complaint. After looking into the matter, police registered a case under Section 384 (extortion) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.Last month, a real estate businessman was shot dead in west Delhi's Paschim Vihar. Sangwan had claimed responsibility for the murder. In another incident that took place last year on Nov 6, three individuals had fired several rounds at a supermarket in Paschim Vihar, creating a sense of panic among shoppers and local residents. On the same day, within a gap of just a few hours, three motorcycle-borne assailants targeted a motor workshop in the Durga Park locality.Investigations revealed that both the incidents were related to extortion, with the shooters allegedly being members of the Sangwan gang.Apart from this gang, businessmen have also been receiving threats from other groups. In March, a businessman in east Delhi received an extortion call for Rs 5 crore purportedly from the Jaipal Bhullar group. Two weeks after, armed assailants opened fire at his house. In Sept last year, three armed assailants opened indiscriminate fire at a car showroom in west Delhi's Naraina. In May, two men opened fire at a car showroom in west Delhi's Tilak Nagar, injuring at least four people. The assailants had handed an extortion note to its employee before the firing.