History-sheeter, four aides booked for extorting Surat fruit trader

Surat: A history-sheeter and his four aides have been booked for allegedly extorting money from a fruit trader in Udhna area of Surat.The prime accused, Shiva Zala, allegedly demanded protection money from the trader and threatened to kill him if he failed to make regular payments. Police said Zala, who is allegedly involved in drug peddling and extortion activities, had recently been released from jail after serving time in a drugs and arms possession case.According to the complaint, Keshar Ali Saiyed, 26, runs a fruit shop in the Mandarwaja area of Surat. On Jan 4, after collecting Rs 1.25 lakh from the day’s business transactions, he went to Udhna to meet friends and fellow fruit traders.At around 10.30 pm, while Saiyed was standing near Nav Ketan Society with his friend Mushtaq Shaikh, Zala and his aides — Ram Zala and Shahrukh — allegedly approached him.According to the FIR, Zala demanded that Saiyed pay Rs 1,000 daily to his gang members and sought Rs 50,000 immediately. Saiyed allegedly handed over Rs 25,000 and promised to pay the remaining amount later.Soon after, two more gang members — Rohit Rathod and Sohel Ghadiyali — arrived at the spot. Rathod allegedly slapped Saiyed and forced him to hand over the remaining cash in his possession. The trader then allegedly gave another Rs 1 lakh to the accused.The accused allegedly threatened Saiyed with dire consequences and warned him to continue paying money regularly if he wanted to stay alive.Rajdeep Nakum, deputy commissioner of police of Special Operations Group (SOG), said Zala had recently been arrested after a textile trader lodged an extortion complaint against him.“After coming out of jail, Zala had posted a reel challenging the police. Following his arrest, he apologised for the act. He is a notorious criminal, and we urge traders not to fear him and to approach the police if any extortion demand is made,” Nakum said.