Haryana Police has busted an extortion gang in Panchkula and arrested three accused including an assistant sub-inspector (ASI).

The gang used to trap their targets in the name of loans and extort money from them by threatening to implicate them in false cases.

Addressing a Press conference in Panchkula today, Commissioner of Police Panchkula, Hanif Qureshi said the arrested accused have been identified as Anil Bhalla, a resident of Sector 2 Panchkula, Narendra Khillan of Sector 10 Panchkula and ASI Gurmez Singh who was in charge of Police Post, Sector-2, Panchkula. Akash Bhalla, another member of the gang is still absconding.

In the complaint given to the police, Sanjeev Garg, a Panchkula resident, said Anil Bhalla had taken Rs 45 lakh from him in the name of loan and foreign travel.

When Garg demanded loan money back, Anil Bhalla threatened to kill him and also get implicated in some false cases.

The primary probe also revealed that the accused, in connivance with the police personnel, filed a false case against the complainant and demanded cash and luxury cars to escape. In this regard, fake documents of the car were also prepared.

Qureshi said in the past there were several complaints against the accused Anil Bhalla in different cases. The police have received about 180 complaints in this regard since 2016-17, out of which some are against the accused and some against the victims.

It was also revealed that the kingpin of the gang Anil Bhalla, who works as a financer, used to blackmail gullible people by getting them to sign blank papers in the name of loans and usurp their property by threatening to implicate them in false cases. The accused demanded money and cars by showing the victim the fear of arrest.

Qureshi said the involvement of the police and other people has also come to the fore in the preliminary probe so far, which is being investigated.

After the arrest, ASI Gurmez Singh is absconding from police custody. In this regard, a separate case was registered against him and two other employees. The services of ASI Gurmez and head constables Rajbir Singh and Naresh Kumar have been placed under suspension.

At the same time, the fourth accused Akash Bhalla who is absconding will be arrested soon. Further probe into the case is underway, Qureshi said.