The Delhi Police has arrested two more alleged extortionists linked to rackets that targeted traffic police personnel and other government officials by covertly recording and manipulating videos to blackmail them, an official said on Sunday.
With the arrest of two, the total number of accused apprehended in the two cases has risen to 10, including the alleged gang leaders Jeeshan Ali and Rajkumar alias Raju Meena, he said.
“The accused were arrested by the Crime Branch in two separate operations conducted as part of an ongoing probe into an organised traffic fraud and extortion networks,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said in a statement.
The officer said that in the first operation, police arrested Amir Chaudhary alias Sikander, an alleged member of an organised crime syndicate led by Jeeshan Ali, who has already been arrested.
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The syndicate was involved in extorting money from traffic police personnel and other government officials by secretly recording videos during official duties and later using those clips for blackmail.
“In the second operation, Sanjay Gupta, a key associate of gang leader Rajkumar alias Raju Meena, was arrested,” the officer said.
Rajkumar Meena and Riyazuddin trained Gupta to record and manipulate videos of traffic police personnel while they were performing official duties, and later used them to extort money by threatening action against the victims, he said.
The first case was initiated on the complaint of traffic police personnel after a commercial light goods vehicle attempted to evade checking by displaying a fake “03 March” sticker, claiming exemption from challans.
During the investigation, police analysed WhatsApp groups used by commercial vehicle drivers and uncovered the existence of an organised crime syndicate operating a parallel illegal system.
The syndicate allegedly cheated commercial vehicle drivers and owners, while also extorting money from traffic police personnel by recording videos during challan proceedings and later editing them to file false complaints.
“Jeeshan Ali was identified as the mastermind, following which seven accused, including the kingpin, were arrested last year,” the DCP said.
“The second case, Rajkumar alias Raju Meena, a habitual criminal active since 2015, along with his associates, who systematically targeted on-duty traffic police personnel, was arrested in December last year,” the DCP said.
Police said the gang induced officials to accept small amounts to avoid challans, secretly recorded and manipulated videos, and later threatened them with suspension, departmental inquiries, vigilance action or false criminal cases to extort money.
This modus operandi was allegedly used repeatedly over several years to extract large sums, yielding undue pecuniary benefits for the accused.
Rajkumar Meena was arrested on December 8, and co-accused Mukesh alias Pakodi on December 11, while Sanjay Gupta and Amir Chaudhary were arrested on January 20.
“Chaudhary, a cab driver by profession, was arrested red-handed while allegedly collecting extortion money from a government official. Police recovered Rs 60,000 in cash, said to be part of the extortion amount and two mobile phones from him.
Gupta, a transporter, has a criminal record, including cases of extortion in 2022, dacoity in 2009 and a Prevention of Corruption Act case in 2015, police said.
Further investigation is underway, police added.
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