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New Delhi: The Delhi Police have thwarted an extortion attempt and arrested a 32-year-old man who allegedly tried to extort Rs 40 lakh from his former employer by using spoofed international WhatsApp numbers. The accused, identified as Ramzan Ali Hashmi from Chhatarpur, South Delhi, was taken into custody on Friday after a swift operation by the Central District police.
The case surfaced when businessman Manoj Kumar Kashyap, a resident of Motia Khan in Paharganj, complained on October 26. He reported that he and his wife had been receiving threatening calls and messages for over two weeks. The harassment began on October 10, when Kashyap’s wife received a WhatsApp call from an international number, followed by a series of intimidating messages targeting her husband.
Investigators believe he attempted the crime to clear his debts and cover expenses related to his upcoming marriage.
Soon after, Kashyap himself started receiving repeated calls and texts from different numbers, demanding Rs 40 lakh in exchange for the safety of his family. Alarmed by the threats, he approached the police, who registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita dealing with extortion and criminal intimidation.
Investigators from Paharganj police station began an extensive technical analysis, tracing the IP address linked to the spoofed WhatsApp calls. The trail led them to a mobile number originating from Chhatarpur. Acting swiftly, a police team conducted a raid in the area and apprehended the suspect.
During questioning, Hashmi allegedly admitted to making the extortion calls. Police said he had earlier worked in Kashyap’s factory in Naraina and was therefore familiar with his employer’s financial status and personal details.
Two mobile phones and a laptop believed to have been used to generate spoofed international numbers and send threatening messages were seized from the accused. The police said further investigation is underway to determine whether others were involved or if the suspect had used similar tactics in the past.
