Trader’s shop riddled with bullets after Rs 50 Lakh extortion threat

Ludhiana: In another incident underlining law and order concerns in Ludhiana, three masked assailants fired multiple gunshots at a trader's shop in Civil City early Tuesday morning. The attack, captured on CCTV camera, followed repeated threats demanding Rs 50 lakh extortion money.The incident took place around 1:50am, when at least five bullets were fired at the closed readymade garment store of Himanshu Handa. CCTV camera footage from a nearby shop shows two of the three accused alighting from a motorcycle and firing from two guns, while the third remains seated on the bike, recording the act on a mobile phone.The attack came to light Tuesday morning when Handa's workers arrived and found the shutter and glass door damaged. Handa said, "On Friday, I received a WhatsApp call from an unknown number. The caller claimed to be an associate of a gangster and demanded Rs 50 lakh within 24 hours. I ignored it, assuming it was a prank. On Sunday, the caller threatened to harm me and my family if I didn't pay and asked for a decision within two hours. I then filed a police complaint."Handa added that later on Sunday evening, the caller warned him to "wait for the trailer." Hours later, the gunfire attack occurred. "There are five bullet holes in the shutter, and one bullet pierced through to damage the glass door," he said.CCTV camera footage shows the assailants wearing hoodies and conversing in Hindi. Before firing, one of them switched on the mobile camera to record the act. Handa believes the attackers are local, as they knew the shop's exact location and addressed him by his full name during calls.Sub-inspector Ram Krishan, additional SHO, Haibowal police station, said, "We have recorded the victim's statement and a case is being registered. The probe is on." When asked about the gangster's name mentioned in the extortion calls, he said, "This is part of the investigation and cannot be revealed yet."Assistant commissioner of police (ACP-West) Jatinderpal Singh said police will maintain surveillance on Handa. He added that the trader possesses a licensed pistol for his protection. Boxes: Another extortion call, another threat--Three masked assailants fired at a trader's shop in Civil City around 1:50am on Tuesday --At least five bullets hit the shutter; one pierced through and damaged the glass door --CCTV camera footage Shows two men firing while the third records the act on a mobile; all wore hoodies and spoke in Hindi --Trader Himanshu Handa received WhatsApp calls demanding Rs 50 lakh; caller claimed to be linked to a gangster --Victim Believes attackers are local; caller addressed him by full name.Timeline of Threats --Friday: First call demanding Rs 50 lakh within 24 hours --Sunday: Second call threatening harm; later warned to "wait for the trailer"--Early Tuesday: Gunfire attack on shop Extortion Calls & Attacks in 2025--A local resident received threatening calls from someone claiming to be gangster Gopi Lahoria, demanding Rs 50 lakh with threats to kill him and his family if payment was not made --Police investigations uncovered a racket allegedly run by gangster Goldy Brar's network that enlisted at least 10 Ludhiana youths to extort money from industrialists and affluent residents in the city--Two youths from Mohali were arrested in October 2025 for travelling to Ludhiana to collect extortion money from a travel agent, though the amount involved was smaller