Chandigarh police arrest youth for blackmailing IAS couple

The accused was identified as Simarjot Singh, 20, a school drop-out, they said. S.K. Gulati and his wife Shashi Gulati had been receiving calls from Simarjot. Threatening to upload "objectionable photographs and video" of their deceased daughter on the internet, Simarjot was demanding money from them, police added.

Their daughter, Anandi Gulati (18), had committed suicide June 1 by jumping from the third floor of her school building here. “We have arrested Simarjot and currently he is under police remand. He had started calling the Gulati couple on June 3, only two days after their daughter's death. He was calling S.K. Gulati on his mobile and Shashi Gulati on her residence landline number and demanding Rs.1 crore from them,” a police official told IANS Saturday.

“From the preliminary investigation, we have found that Simarjot is a fraud. However, he is unable to give any appropriate reason behind calling the Gulati couple. He was telling a lie to them and only wanted to extort money from them,” he added.

A resident of neighbouring Mohali town, Simarjot had got a new mobile number June 3, from which he was making the calls.  Police have seized his computer, hard-disc and many documents but did not find any objectionable material related to Anandi. Police have also recovered many fake identity proofs and other documents from his possession.

S.K. Gulati is Haryana's financial commissioner and Shashi Gulati is posted as a secretary-level officer.  Anandi, who had secured 86.5 percent marks in class twelve this year, had committed suicide as she was under depression.