Fake thumb, blood, Quranic verses: Rs 5 cr extortion plot busted
“Israel has destroyed Gaza… Allah has chosen you… We need to send food…. Arrange Rs 5 crore in 10 days.” These were some excerpts of a threatening letter which was received by a Delhi-based businessman in a parcel box.
The box contained a smart watch and a ‘human thumb soaked in blood’, along with a 1,500-word threatening letter.
The disturbing message bore Quranic verses at the top, an apparent attempt to fabricate a link to an international terror group. However, the probe revealed that the plot was hatched by two men who had known the victim for over 30 years.
DCP (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam said the victim businessman approached the police on April 16 that he received a parcel containing a letter wherein a sum of Rs 5 cr as extortion money was demanded, a smart-watch and a ‘human like thumb’ structure contained in a plastic box from a girl. A special team was formed to probe the case.
“The team analysed over 600 CCTV cameras at different locations to trace the girl who delivered the parcel to the complainant. Finally, a route was prepared and the girl who came to deliver the parcel to the complainant was identified and apprehended,” the DCP said.
The girl turned out to be a minor and was placed under juvenile observation home. During questioning, she revealed the name of the mastermind: Abhishek — a longtime acquaintance of the businessman. Upon interrogation, Abhishek confessed to orchestrating the extortion attempt with his relative Sachin Jain.
Probe revealed that Abhishek meticulously planned the ruse. A smart watch was bought for Rs 500, an artificial thumb made of plastic was purchased for Rs 3,500 and a detailed 1500-worded threatening letter, drafted in Hindi, was printed from a local shop in Dilshad Garden.
The smartwatch was meant to connect with the victim’s mobile phone, allowing the extortionists to track his movements. The fake thumb was included to sow terror — with the letter falsely claiming it belonged to the father of the girl who delivered the parcel, suggesting he had been harmed for non-cooperation.
The letter left little to imagination. It warned the businessman against informing the police, boasting: “You think you pay the police? We pay them 20 times more.”
Delhi