Two held for extorting Rs 1.40 cr from Chhattisgarh forest officer

Two persons, including a woman, were arrested for allegedly blackmailing and extorting Rs 1.40 crore from a forest officer in Chhattisgarh's Mungeli district after telling him that CBI was probing a complaint of corruption against him, police said on Friday.  duo and ir absconding associate also threatened forest officer and told him that he will be sent to a jail in Andaman and Nicobar Islands if he did t pay money to m, y said.

While two accused, Paramveer Marhas (40) and Varsha Tiwari (30), who h introduced mselves to officer as reporters of a local news portal, were arrested on Thursday, third accused, identified only as Sartaj, is still at large, Mungeli Superintendent of Police (SP) Arvind Kujur said. All accused are residents of neighbouring Bilaspur district, he said.

Expensive items bought by trio from extorted money have been seized, Kujur said. Early this week, victim, currently posted as a forest ranger in Mungeli, lodged a complaint that he was being blackmailed by three since 2019, he said. During interrogation, Marhas and Tiwari revealed that Sartaj h hatched a plan to extort money from forest officer in 2019 when he was posted in Ratanpur forest range of Bilaspur, Kujur said.

y told forest officer re was a complaint of corruption against him with CBI and that ncys top officials were investigating case, SP said. trio told victim y can settle his case, claiming ir acquaintance with CBI officials and demanded money from him, he said.

accused told forest officer that he will be jailed in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and his family will be ruined if he did t pay money to m, SP said. three extorted Rs 1.40 crore from ranger in multiple installments between May 2019 and February 2021, he said. accused bought two cars, a Bullet motorbike, a moped and gold ornaments from extorted money and all se have been seized, Kujur said.

Besides, Rs 8.15 lakh cash was recovered from arrested duo, he said. Furr investigation is underway and efforts are on to trace third accused, Kujur said. When queried how forest officer arranged such a huge sum of money, Kujur said, as per preliminary information, he h sold his properties and also taken loans from several people. However, exact details will be kwn after probe concludes, SP ded.