A scribe was arrested by Sudhar police of Ludhiana Rural on Sunday for allegedly attempting to extort ₹7 lakh from a local shopkeeper by threatening to implicate him in a rape case and defame him on social media, while his accomplice—also a scribe and a panchayat member—suffered injuries while trying to escape during a police raid and is undergoing treatment at a hospital. Police said he will be arrested after being discharged.
According to police, the arrested accused have been identified as Jagpal Singh Sivia, a resident of Ramgarh Sivia.
Police said Amarjeet Singh, alias Deepu, a resident of Akalgarh is a member of the panchayat and also works as a scribe with a vernacular daily. He suffered injuries while trying to escape during a police raid and is admitted to a local hospital for treatment.
The case was registered following a complaint by Raghveer Singh, a resident of Hambran Road near South City in Ludhiana.
According to the complainant, his relative Sikander Singh, who runs a grocery store at Rattowal Chowk in Sudhar Bazaar, had been looking for an employee when a woman from a migrant labour family offered to place her daughter at the shop and took ₹1,000 as advance payment.
A few days later, the girl returned the advance amount and left the job, stating that her mother had to return to their village. However, on February 25, the woman returned to the shop and accused Sikander Singh of molesting her daughter.
Police said both the accused later intervened in the matter. The complainant alleged that on March 2 and March 4, Amarjeet Singh called him and offered to settle the issue for ₹7 lakh, warning that if the amount was not paid, a rape case would be registered and the matter would be widely publicised in news reports and on social media.
When the complainant refused to pay, both the accused allegedly took the woman to Sudhar police station and filed a complaint against Sikander Singh.
However, police said the woman and both the accused later failed to join the investigation when asked to do so.
Deputy superintendent of police Varinder Singh Khosa said the conversation between the complainant and the accused had been recorded and would be placed on record.
He added that police are examining call records, phone locations and other technical evidence, while statements of witnesses are also being recorded.
Police officials said they are also probing the role of the woman and other individuals linked to the case, adding that more arrests could follow.
Both the accused have been booked under Sections 308(2) (extortion) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
