Gangster groom arrested from marriage venue in Bhopal; fiancée pleads for his release

BHOPAL: Koh-e-Fiza police arrested notorious criminal Akash alias Bhura Haddi and two members of his gang for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to honey trap, blackmail and extort a priest to arrange money for his own marriage, which was scheduled for Wednesday. Akash alias Haddi was arrested during his marriage function on Tuesday night from the marriage venue.

The accused not only assaulted the priest but also abducted him and confined him to a flat in the Bajpai Nagar Multi area. They forced his brother to transfer Rs 50,000 as extortion. They released him after threatening him to arrange another Rs 8 lakh, or else they would file a rape case against him.

After the arrest, Akash's fiancée approached the police and threatened to die by suicide, requesting the cops to release him. She met senior police officials on Wednesday and even appeared before the court to get him released for the marriage, but he was sent to jail considering the seriousness of the matter.

According to police, the 25-year-old priest filed a complaint stating that he knew Akash Upadhyay, who also worked as a priest.

Two days ago, Akash called him to his rented room in the Lalghati area, where a young woman was sitting. Akash told the priest that he would return shortly and left the room, taking the priest’s scooter.

Soon after, Bhura Haddi arrived at the room with his associates. They threatened the priest, accusing him of being involved in an illicit act with the woman and warning that they would implicate him in a rape case. The accused then took the priest to a multi-storey building in Bajpai Nagar, where they assaulted him.

The gang allegedly threatened to kill him and repeatedly warned that he would be sent to jail in a false rape case. Under pressure, the priest called his brother, who transferred Rs 50,000 to Akash Upadhyay’s bank account. The accused released the priest only after receiving the money.

Rs 8 lakh more demanded

After taking Rs 50,000, the accused continued to extort the priest for Rs 8 lakh. The gang released him only after he assured them that he would soon arrange the remaining amount.

During questioning, Akash Upadhyay told police that the gang was collecting money for Bhura Haddi’s wedding and that the Rs 50,000 had been transferred to Bhura. Police learned that Bhura was at his wedding venue preparing for the ceremony. A police team reached the spot and arrested him from the wedding pavilion.

Girlfriend also made accused
Police said Bhura Haddi used his gang member's girlfriend as bait in the blackmail scheme. As a result, she has also been named an accused in the case. After Bhura’s arrest, his fiancée reportedly visited the offices of senior police officers, claiming that she was about to marry him. However, considering the seriousness of the case, police proceeded with action and sent Bhura Haddi, Akash Upadhyay and Ram Thakur to jail.