Srinagar, September 19: On Tuesday, police in the Shopian area of south Kashmir claimed to have detained a lady who had been extorting money from locals by impersonating a close aide of the police.
According to a release from the police, Mehbooba Akhtar W/O Shafkat Mohi-ud-din Kuchay R/o Kardar, Kulgam, who was operating as a tout and extorting cash from residents of Shopian, was detained by Shopian Police in a planned and effective way.
The woman pretended to be connected to the police in Shopian, and instead of releasing the people who were being held under preventative detention by the police for interrogation, she demanded a sizable sum of money from a few families in Shopian.
In this deception, she had help from Ghulam Hassain Shah, son of Mohd Shaban Shah, of Behibagh, Kulgam. In this respect, Shopian Police Station has recorded case FIR No. 158/2023 in accordance with the relevant legal provisions, and an investigation has begun. Both Extortionists were summoned to the police station for interrogation based on the information that was provided.
The accused individual revealed the whole network and method of extortion that they had been using, according to the police spokeswoman. Co-accused Gh. Hussain Shah also revealed that the woman in question had extorted 8.4 lakh rupees from these households over time. She was in possession of 2.5 lakh rupees, which the police were able to seize.
More recovery is anticipated.
Extortion is a type of blackmail, according to SSP Shopian, Tanushree, who also warned the people not to fall for such blackmailers. ‘Extortionist’ from Oman detained in Shopian while masquerading as a police officer
