3 Arrested in Noida For Extortion After Encounter With Police

The men allegedly tried to extort Rs 2 crore from a Delhi-based businessman.

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Three men were arrested from Noida on 13 January on charges of extorting Rs 2 crore from a Delhi-based businessman earlier in the week. The three were arrested after they opened fire at the police, The Times of India reported. Two of the accused have been identified as Azad Sharma (23) and Vikas (21) who hail from Baghpat. The third arrested, Sanju, is Azad’s brother-in-law and has been arrested for criminal conspiracy.

According to the report, Azad received a bullet wound on his left leg while Vikas was shot in his right leg.

Noida phase II station officer, Shahvez Khan, was also reportedly hit but escaped without an injury.

The businessman, Umesh Vij, is a resident of Delhi’s Defence Colony and owns a factory in Noida Sector 82.

According to the report, he was on his way home on 8 January when a group of men began shooting at his car. He told the daily that the next day, he received a call from an anonymous number. The caller demanded Rs 2 crore and confirmed that he had shot at Vij’s vehicle the previous day, the Times of India reported.

Following the phone call, Vij registered an FIR at the Phase II police station. The police later deployed a PCR at the victim’s office, according to the Times of India report.

According to the report, the accused contacted Vij again – via a stolen phone – to warn him of severe consequences once the police were gone. The PCR van was then deliberately removed in order to lure the men. The SP of Noida, Arun Kumar, said that the two bike-borne men arrived at the spot at around 6pm.

They were again planning to fire at the businessman’s car to threaten him. The police chased them but the criminals opened fire. The police returned the fire and the criminals were injured.

Arun Kumar, SP, Noida, to the Times of India

Azad has an ITI degree and works for IGL, police were quoted as saying. Arvind, Azad’s friend had been Umesh Vij’s driver for the past two years. He was fired from his job and had plotted the crime along with his acquaintances, police told the daily.

(With inputs from the Times of India)

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