One held for extortion calls

TT, Siliguri, Aug. 22: One person was arrested by Siliguri metropolitan police yesterday for making extortion calls to businessmen in Siliguri and asking for money in the name of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung.

Dipankar Modak, a Cooch Behar resident, was today remanded in police custody for three days.

Jag Mohan, commissioner of Siliguri metropolitan police, said: “Some people were making extortion calls to members of the business community in Siliguri, introducing themselves as representatives of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. Roshan Giri, the Morcha general secretary, requested us to take necessary steps to prevent attempts to defame the party. One person had called up two businessmen in Siliguri and asked for money in the name of Gurung and the Morcha. We arrested the caller from 10th Mile in Kalimpong yesterday.”

He added that the businessmen had filed complaint with Siliguri police on August 9 and 19. “The arrested person had no connection with the Morcha,” Jag Mohan said. He has been booked under Section 384 (punishment for extortion).

Yesterday, Siliguri metropolitan police arrested two others from Mumbai for fleeing with Rs 50 lakh from the house of their employer.

Anish Kumar from Bihar and Ramji from Pune used to work as domestics in the house of Sunil Singhania, a wholesaler of edible oils at Khalpara here. Two police teams were sent, one each to Mumbai and Sitamarhi in Bihar.

“We could recover over Rs 48 lakh,” Jag Mohan said.