Delhi court summons Bishnoi, others in extortion call case

New Delhi: A Delhi court has summoned gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and two other accused in an extortion call case, a month after they were discharged in the matter. Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Singh was hearing the revision petition filed by the state against the discharge order issued by a separate magisterial court on February 20. "Issue Court notice of revision petition to respondents/accused persons, through investigating officer (IO), for next date," said the court in its order dated March 23. The three accused have been asked to be present before the court for further proceedings on April 18. Bishnoi and his two associates were charged under Sections 386 (extortion by putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt to themselves or another person), 387 (putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt in an attempt to commit extortion), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the case registered at the Sunlight Colony police station on a complaint by Raman Deep Singh.

The complainant alleged that between the midnight of April 23 and 24, 2023, he began receiving calls from an unknown number threatening his life and demanding Rs 1 crore. The investigators primarily relied on disclosure statements of the co-accused persons and did not procure call records or collect other material evidence, leading to the magisterial court having inadequate proof to frame charges. The trio were discharged by the magisterial court last month, as there was neither any "actual delivery of property induced by fear of death or grievous hurt" required in cases under Section 386, nor any "overt act" indicating that the accused had put the complainant in fear of death or grievous hurt required in cases under Section 387 of the IPC.