‘Mock’ firing at outer Delhi restro in bid to extort financiers & evade loan repayment

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police arrested three persons, including the alleged mastermind, for allegedly staging a firing incident in outer Delhi’s Paschim Vihar in an apparent bid to extort financiers and evade loan repayment by posing as victims of foreign-based gangsters, an official said on Wednesday.

The accused have been identified as Tapan Dass alias Vishwas (32), Sunny alias Bong (21) and Kamlesh alias Ganja (31), all residents of Sonia Camp in Paschim Vihar, police said. A PCR call was received on March 15 regarding a firing incident in Paschim Vihar. On reaching the spot, police found two bullet marks on the iron gate of a restaurant and recovered two empty cartridges and bullet leads. No injuries were reported.

A case was registered at Paschim Vihar East police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act, and an investigation was launched.

During the probe, CCTV footage from the area was analysed and photographs of suspects were circulated locally. Based on a tip-off, one accused, Sunny, was apprehended near Nihal Vihar Nala on the intervening night of March 17 and 18. During interrogation, he revealed that Tapan had hatched a conspiracy to stage the firing incident to extort money and create fear among financiers, police said. Subsequently, the prime accused, Tapan -- a bad character of the respective police station area -- was arrested from Sonia Camp. Police said Tapan staged firing at his restaurant to evade a Rs 13 lakh loan, hiring Kamlesh. Weapons, cartridges, scooty and clothes were recovered; investigation continues. mpost