NRI jailed in UK

An Indian-origin man,who threatened a wealthy businessman into paying 1 million pounds in UK,has been jailed.

An Indian-origin man who joined a colleague to threaten and blackmail a wealthy businessman into paying them 1 million pounds in Leicester has been jailed for eight years.

The two blackmailers have been identified as Diljit Rana (33) and Lee Taberer (39).

They terrorised the unnamed businessman,threatening to kidnap his family if he did not hand over 1 million pounds.

Taberer masqueraded as a notorious gangster during a series of menacing calls,insisting that the owed him a massive debt.

Along with Rana,Taberer rang the victim at his luxury home,saying that they knew all about him and his property investment companies.

The two were found to have a dossier on the businessman,including aerial photographs of his house and a picture of his wife,reports from Leicester said.

They were jailed for eight years after admitting blackmail at the Leicester Crown Court.

Story continues below this ad

In one conversation,Rana told the victim: You now know who youre messing with. I know who you are. I want the 1 million pounds back,or crack cocaine. Using mobile phone cell site information and CCTV,the police arrested the two at home,simultaneously on January 26.

In court,Judge Ebraham Mooncey said: You played an active part in effectively terrorising that family. It was a carefully planned activity. You were working in a group or a gang. Intimidation was used. There was a degree of professionalism. The police did a very thorough investigation of which we should be proud and the police should be complimented for. Khurram Arif,lawyer for Rana,said the entire enterprise was at the behest of his brother,currently serving a jail sentence for a similar offence.