How a Haryana accent helped police trace an extortion trail to Malaysia

Haryana man deported from Malaysia: The Haryana Police said a call to a Jharkhand businessman led them to a 22-year-old from Jind allegedly operating for an extortion network from Malaysia.

5 min readChandigarhUpdated: Sep 25, 2026 06:14 PM IST

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Haryana extortion case: Ravi Uchani landed at Delhi airport early Friday and was taken into custody by the Haryana Police. (Express Photo)

Haryana extortion case: His father borrowed Rs 1 lakh and sold his land to send him to Malaysia in 2024. Nearly two and a half years later, 22-year-old Ravi Uchani was deported to India after the Haryana Police alleged that the migrant worker had become part of an extortion network operating between Malaysia and several Indian states.

Uchani landed at Delhi airport Friday morning and was taken into custody by the Haryana Police.

The investigation began with an unlikely clue: the Haryana accent of a man making an extortion call to a businessman in Jharkhand’s Ranchi from a Malaysian phone number.

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That led the Haryana Police Special Task Force (STF) to look at young men from the state who had travelled to Malaysia. The trail eventually led to Uchani, a resident of the village with the same name in Karnal district, who left India on March 4, 2024, and worked as a barber in a Malaysian salon.

The police say Uchani initially worked for gangsters as a “dabba caller”, making extortion calls on their behalf, before beginning to make calls himself. Investigators say the operation was backed by a network in Haryana that included shooters and associates allegedly coordinating the operation from jail.

One of the extortion calls was allegedly made to a former Union minister in Rajasthan.

The Malaysian number

In December 2025, the Haryana STF was informed about the extortion call made to the coal mine businessman in Ranchi.

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A team of Investigators headed by Aman Kumar, Assistant Commissioner of Police, noticed the caller’s distinct Haryana accent. The accent gave investigators their first geographical clue. They began narrowing their search to youths from Haryana who had travelled to Malaysia, while tracing the Malaysian number used for the call.

Together, these clues gave investigators two leads: the caller appeared to have a connection to Haryana but was operating from Malaysia. The STF began tracing the number while looking at people from Haryana who had travelled to Malaysia and could be connected to an extortion network.

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The investigation eventually took the police to Uchana. Investigators questioned some of Uchani’s friends and associates who had travelled abroad with him. According to the police, they told investigators that Uchani had initially been involved in “dabba calling” — making calls for other gangsters.

In “dabba calling”, an alleged extortionist first calls a target online. He then calls his boss, who is based in another country, from a second phone, keeps the two devices side by side with their speakers on, and lets the boss speak directly to the victim.

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The police said he later began making extortion calls himself, targeting Indian businessmen from Malaysia.

From calls to a ground network

The investigation also indicated that the operation was not limited to phone calls made from abroad.

According to the STF, Uchani’s alleged network had people on the ground in Haryana who could act against businessmen who refused to pay.

The STF identified and detained eight men who, the police said, were working as shooters for the network. Investigators say they carried out attacks if businessmen did not comply with extortion demands.

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Also Read | Delhi woman gets ‘extortion call’; caller identifies himself as Goldy Brar, demands Rs 200 crore

The police also identified two associates who allegedly coordinated parts of the operation from inside jail.

This gave investigators a picture of an extortion network spread across locations: calls being made from Malaysia, alleged coordinators operating from prison, and shooters available on the ground in Haryana.

The police have also alleged that Uchani is associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

Following the money

As the investigation progressed, the STF turned to the financial trail.

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Investigators examined bank accounts linked to the alleged shooters and other people identified during the probe. The police said transactions in these accounts helped them corroborate phone numbers, contacts, and other links that emerged during the investigation.

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Investigators used the financial transactions, along with call records and questioning of associates, to piece together the alleged network and Uchani’s role in it.

Bringing him back

With the Malaysian connection established, the Haryana Police began bringing Uchani back to India.

The police sought a Red Corner Notice against him, followed by an Interpol reference. Malaysian authorities subsequently detained him and, after the necessary legal process, deported him to India.

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After around nine months of investigation, Uchani was deported to India.

Hina Rohtaki

Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. She is one of the most prominent journalists covering the Chandigarh Administration, civic issues, and the unique political status of the Union Territory. Professional Background Experience: She has been in the field for over a decade and is known for her investigative reporting on administrative waste and urban governance. Awards: She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, which was presented to her by the President of India in January 2020. She was also awarded the Jethmalani prize (The Will of Steel Awards) in 2025 in the Empowerment category for a series of articles that highlighted the struggles of Covid widows. Core Beat: Her primary focus is the Chandigarh administrative structure, the Union Territory's financial management, and urban development projects. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent work highlights a focus on government accountability, administrative expenditures, and civic trends: 1. Investigative & Financial Reporting "Fuelling power: Senior UT IAS officers guzzled petrol worth Rs 30 lakh in 2 yrs" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative report detailing the high fuel bills of top bureaucrats, including the Finance Secretary and Chief Secretary’s staff. "Admn spends Rs 1.5 crore on dismantling road railings and fixing again after increasing height" (Dec 8, 2025): Highlighting administrative waste on "non-viable" solutions for pedestrian control. "Chandigarh’s finances under ministry’s watch now" (Nov 27, 2025): Reporting on the new requirement for MHA approval for all new projects in the UT. 2. Governance & Constitutional Status "What will it mean for Chandigarh if it is brought under Article 240?" (Nov 24, 2025): An "Explained" piece on the potential constitutional shift that would grant the President more power over the UT's governance. "MP Manish Tewari moves Bill seeking directly elected Mayor with 5-year tenure" (Dec 6, 2025): Covering the legislative push to reform Chandigarh's municipal leadership structure. "No proposal to increase Mayor's term in Chandigarh by 5 years: Centre" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on the Union government's response to demands for a longer mayoral term. 3. Urban Infrastructure & Environment "Chandigarh admn cuts power to India's tallest air purifier, asks firm to dismantle it" (Nov 17, 2025): A critical report on the failure of a high-cost environmental project deemed "of no use" by experts. "UT rethinks 24/7 water supply project as costs soar" (Nov 26, 2025): Detailing the financial challenges and delays in modernizing the city's water network. "Centre 'obfuscating, covering up' MC's shifting deadlines for clearing Dadu Majra dump" (Dec 12, 2025): Reporting on the ongoing controversy surrounding the city's major waste dump. 4. Lifestyle & Local Trends "Chandigarh turns into a Thar city as women fuel the surge" (Dec 2, 2025): A feature on a unique automotive trend in the city, with a record 600 registrations by women drivers this year. "After fivefold spike in 2023, EV sales struggle to pick pace in Chandigarh" (Dec 2, 2025): Analyzing the slowdown in electric vehicle adoption despite previous surges. Signature Beat Hina is known for her meticulous tracking of RTI (Right to Information) data to expose administrative inefficiency. Her "Ground Zero" reporting on the Dadu Majra garbage dump and her scrutiny of the Chandigarh Smart City projects have made her a key figure in the city’s civil society discourse. X (Twitter): @HinaRohtaki ... Read More

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