Gang runs extortion scam from Tihar, three arrested

 Three members of Neeraj Bawana gang were arrested after Delhi Police intercepted their phone calls after being tipped off that they were in touch with accomplices in jail.

Recently, the gang had demanded  Rs 50 lakh from a Rohini-based businessman and were threatening another businessman to vacate a plot in outer Delhi's Shahbad Dairy area.

According to sources, police were intercepting mobile phone calls  linked with Naveen Bali, who is currently lodged in Tihar Jail.

Bali was making threatening calls from jail, demanding money from some businessmen.
One of the tapped mobile phones was of Vishal Maan, considered to be a close accomplice of Bali.

Sources said Bali had contacted Lalit Mathur, a resident of Rohini Sector-18, in the last week of February to demand Rs 50 lakh.

Mathur was threatened that the gang will kill him and his family members if the money was not paid.

He was also told not to contact police.Mathur, however, approached police and a case was registered with Samaipur Badli police station.
Threat calls

These phone calls also revealed that the gang was forcing and making threatening phone calls to Prahladpur-resident Anup Sahi to vacate a plot.

“Anup was being told to hand over the documents of the plot to Vishal,” an officer said. Anup had filed a complaint with Shahbad Dairy police station.

On Tuesday, police were tipped off  that Vishal Maan will come to Rohini Sector 11 with accomplices Nizam and Santosh Bahadur.

They were told he would come armed for threatening local businessmen.At about 9.30 pm, a Honda Civic car was intercepted by a police SUV near Shahbad Dairy.

Vishal and his accomplices attempted to flee on foot, but were overpowered. Several loaded country-made pistols were recovered from the car.

The police officer added that it was not the first instance of prisoners in Tihar Jail sneaking in mobile phones.
According to jail authorities, prisoners found possessing mobile phones are punished as per the provisions of Delhi Jail Manual.  These include stopping meetings with visitors.

Neeraj Bawana gang seems to have been operating from Tihar jail despite the phone-jammers and CCTV cameras installed there.