A call from Armenia, a threat from ‘Lawrence bhai’: How an extortion plot unravelled in Haridwar

According to the police, 36-year-old Saini — through Hooda — demanded Rs 30 lakh from local businessman Ravi Kumar, threatening to kill him if he failed to make the payment.

The complainant approached the police, following which an FIR was registered on October 30, Haridwar Senior Superintendent of Police Parmendra Singh Dobhal said.

For Uttarakhand resident Ashish Saini, his friend Ajay Hooda working in Armenia proved to be the proverbial friend in need. Saini was arrested Tuesday for allegedly making an extortion call to a Haridwar businessman — a call that Hooda made from Armenia, posing as a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

According to the police, 36-year-old Saini — through Hooda — demanded Rs 30 lakh from local businessman Ravi Kumar, threatening to kill him if he failed to make the payment. Kumar, who runs a motorcycle showroom in the district, eventually approached the police, following which an FIR was registered on October 30, Haridwar Senior Superintendent of Police Parmendra Singh Dobhal said.

In his complaint, Kumar said that on the evening of October 30, his brother Gaurav Saini received a call from an unknown number. “The man asked, ‘Are you Ravi?’ My brother denied, and the caller disconnected,” the complaint said.

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He added: “When I was returning home later, I received three or four WhatsApp calls but didn’t answer. When I finally answered the fifth call, the caller claimed he was an associate of the Lawrence gang and that ‘Lawrence bhai’ ordered me to pay Rs 30 lakh within 10 days, threatening to kill my brother and me if I didn’t comply.”

The caller’s number was traced to Kiloi in Rohtak, Haryana. “Further inquiry revealed that Saini gave Hooda the contact numbers of the complainant and his brother. Hooda remains absconding but legal action is being initiated against him,” Dobhal said.

An official at Kaliyar police station said their team visited Hooda’s house in Rohtak and questioned his brother. “Hooda works as a delivery executive at a company in Armenia and thought he could try his luck with his friend’s help. This is the first time the duo has made such a call,” the officer said.

Kumar’s wife is associated with the BJP and had contested the panchayat elections in 2022.

Aiswarya Raj

Aiswarya Raj is a correspondent with The Indian Express covering Uttarakhand. An alumna of Asian College of Journalism and the University of Kerala, she started her career at The Indian Express as a sub-editor in the Delhi city team. In her previous position, she covered Gurugaon and its neighbouring districts. She likes to tell stories of people and hopes to find moorings in narrative journalism. ... Read More

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