Police on Saturday arrested four alleged extortionists in central Kashmir’s Budgam district and recovered a dummy weapon and cash Rs 33,300 extortion money from their possession.
A police handout identified the accused as Feroz Ahmad Wani son of Abdul Ahad Wani, Bilal Ahmad Malik son of Ali Muhammad Malik and Abdul Momin Shah Son of Abdul Rashid Shah -all three residents of Pethzanigam and Asif Ahmad Ahanger son of Abdul Gani Ahanger of Bonzanigam.
The arrests were made following a complaint lodged at Police Station Beerwah on August 23 this year by one Tawseef Ahmad Bhat son of Abdul Ahad Bhat resident of Rawatpora Khag stating therein that on the preceding evening, after closing his office, a Khidmat Centre, he along with his neighbour namely Saqib Ahmed Dar son of Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din resident of Rawatpora were on way to home when while crossing river Sukhnag, some masked persons stopped them, showed weapon, thrashed them and robbed the complainant of a cash amount of Rs 1,50,000.
Accordingly, a case FIR number 121/2021 under relevant sections of law was registered at Police Station Beerwah and investigation into the matter taken up, police said
During the course of investigation, working on various leads, one suspect namely Feroz Ahmad Wani son of Abdul Ahad Wani resident of Pethzanigam was called for questioning and during sustained questioning, he confessed his involvement in the commission of crime and on his disclosure, his two associates namely Asif Ahmad Ahanger son of Abdul Gani Ahanger resident of Bonzanigam and Bilal Ahmad Malik son of Ali Muhammad Malik resident of Pethzanigam were arrested, it added.
During further questioning of the trio, dummy AK-47 rifle, extortion amount of Rs 33,300, and three cloth pieces used as face covers during commission of crime were recovered on their disclosure from the shed constructed at orchard of one of the accused Asif Ahmad Ahanger of Bonzanigam.
It aso came to the fore that the dummy weapon was made and carved by one of the accused Abdul Momin Shah of Pethzanigam, a carpenter by profession.
Investigation is under way and more arrests and recoveries are expected in the said case, police said.