Five arrested in Kolkata and Jamshedpur for extorting money

Five persons including Md Rehman, who used to extort money from businessmen using names of Maoists, were arrested in the steel city and Kolkata.

Addressing a press conference in Jamshedpur, senior superintendent of police, Akhilesh Kumar Jha said, "Md Rehman, a resident of Chandil in adjoining Saraikela-Kharswan district, was arrested for introducing himself as Maoist and demanding ransom in the name of Maoists."

Police arrested him from Chandil after he demanded Rs3 lakhs from a businessman.

Three mobile phones and nine SIM cards were recovered from his possession, Jha said.

"Amanjeet Singh alias Shyam Singh, who has a criminal background, was arrested here. Raju Dutta and Moinurul Sheikh, both resident of Behala near Kolkata, were arrested from Kolkata," he said.

The accused have threatened at least six businessmen in Golmuri area with dire consequences if they did not pay heed to their demand of money, he said.

They have been making calls to the businessmen from mobile phones in Kolkata and demanded extortion, he said.

Three mobile phones including the one they have been making calls and SIM cards were seized from them, the police said.

In an another incident, police arrested Sanatan Chandra for demanding Rs5 lakhs from a businessmen, Deepak Kumar Agarwal.