Baramulla: Sopore police on Saturday evening claimed that a complaint received from one person (name with held) stating therein that he has received a letter on the letter pad of Lashker- e- Touba where in he has been directed to pay an amount of 5O thousand for banned outfit, as the organisation is in dire need of funds for carrying out various activities of organisation.
Upon receipt of the complaint, an FIR number 11/2021 under section 13 ULPA 452,393,,120-B, 511 IPC was registered at police station Sopore and investigation was taken up.
During the course of investigation which involved utilization of human resources and technical means to trace the culprits, it came to fore that three persons Ishfaq Ahmad Reshi son of Ali Mohammad Reshi (Maruti Eco driver by profession), Mumtaz Ahmad War son of Mohammad Maqbool War (imaam by profession) and Abdul Qayoom Ganie son of Mohammad Sultan Ganie (Mason by profession) residents of Warpora mastered a plan to collect money from the complainant.
Police in their statement said that, police arrested the accused and upon interrogation they revealed how they were blackmailing the innocent general public and prominent businessmen of the area.
Accused confessed that they used to identify the target first and then subsequently devise a plan to blackmail and loot the money by sending a letter on the letter pad of Lashkar -e-Toiba through kids. A Letterpad and one stamp has been recovered from their possessions. There area of operation was not confined to Warpora only but they have extorted money from main Town Sopore, as of now police have identified 8 persons who have been looted by them and some posters demanding money have been recovered from them.
The police statement reads that, Sopore police has busted a same type of Gang in the Year 2019 and all the four accused involved in the commission of crime were booked under PSA who were using fake AK – 47 for extortion Meanwhile, investigation of the case is on and some more arrests are expected in the case. Sopore police also requests the general public to come forward and report any such sort of crime to police immediately so that innocent public can be saved from them. Police statement added.

Reader correspondent