4 held for extorting Rs 60,000 from Muslim family by threatening cow meat case

Jalandhar: Commissionerate police on Sunday arrested four persons, including the self-styled national president of Shri Ram Bhakt Sena, on charges of allegedly extorting Rs 60,000 from a Muslim family by threatening to implicate them in a cow slaughter case.Police said the family had purchased meat of a dead buffalo from Buta Mandi, a raw hide market, for a private function.Division 5 police station SHO Yadwinder Singh Rana said Rubina, a resident of Katra Mohalla in Basti Danishmanda, alleged in her complaint that five-six persons led by Dharmendra Mishra entered their house while the meat was being cut and began recording videos.According to the complaint, the accused allegedly threatened to get a case registered against the family for possessing cow meat unless they paid Rs 2 lakh. The complainant also alleged that her elderly mother-in-law was assaulted and that Mishra displayed a licensed weapon during the incident.Police said the family eventually arranged Rs 60,000, including money raised by selling a pair of earrings and withdrawing cash from an ATM, and handed it over to the accused.Acting on the complaint, police registered a case and arrested four of the accused, including Mishra. SHO Rana said a licensed weapon was also recovered from Mishra.Police further alleged that two associates of the accused confined and assaulted a local journalist who had recorded the incident and pressured him to delete the video. Both are currently absconding.The police have registered a case under charges including extortion, criminal intimidation, trespass and outraging the modesty of a woman. Further investigation is under way.Police said Mishra had recently staged a protest outside Basti Bawa Khel police station and was facing complaints in other matters as well.MSID:: 131569883 413 |