Bengaluru, July 15 (IANS) A gang of four individuals was arrested on Tuesday, on the charges of impersonating as aides of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and attempting extortion in Karnataka.

The arrested accused have been identified as Mohammad Rafeeq, Shishupal Singh, Vansh Sachdev, and Amit Choudhary.

The Sheshadripuram Police apprehended them and produced them before the court, following which they were taken into police custody for further interrogation.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the accused have no actual links to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. They had come together and conspired to extort money by falsely using the gangster’s name to instill fear.

According to police sources, Mohammad Rafeeq, a resident of Mavalli in Bengaluru, had previously been jailed in Delhi in connection with another case.

During his imprisonment in Tihar Jail, Rafeeq came into contact with the other three accused, and they developed a friendship.

The gang hatched a plan to extort money once they were released from jail. They decided to operate under the guise of being affiliated with Lawrence Bishnoi to intimidate victims. However, their attempt in Bengaluru failed, and they were arrested.

The accused had attempted to threaten and extort money from an industrialist in Bengaluru. The victim approached the police, who took the matter seriously and launched a manhunt.

Following the extortion call, which falsely claimed connections to Lawrence Bishnoi, Bengaluru police went on high alert.

The City Police Commissioner, acting on the complaint, ordered a thorough inspection of lodges across the city.

Since it was suspected that the accused had travelled from other states and were staying in lodges, strict instructions were issued for verification drives.

Police teams are now checking guest registers of lodges daily, and officers are visiting rooms to verify the identities of occupants in suspected cases.

Special attention is being given to individuals who have recently arrived in Bengaluru and are staying for extended periods, police sources added.

–IANS

mka/svn