Srinagar: Police on Friday claimed to have arrested three extortionists including a BJP panch in north Kashmir’s Sopore.

In a statement to GNS, the police said that on a complaint received by Mudasir ah Shiekh son of Gh. Mohd Shiekh resident of Panzipora Sopore, son in law of Ghulam Nabi Lone son of Ab Ahad Lone resident of Hamdani Colony Nadihal that during the intervening night 3/4 April that some unidentified persons barged into the in-laws’ house at Nadihal along with weapons and asked them to drop at South Kashmir and also took away two mobile phones and also threatened not to disclose to anyone.

“In this regard, FIR no 20 u/s 450, 506 IPC and 7/25 arms act was lodged at PS Panzalla, and the investigation was taken up. During the investigation, one panch namely Mehraj u din rather, son of Haji Mohd Akbar Rather resident of Minipora Krankshoon Sopore (BJP) was called up for questioning and he confessed the commission of the crime with three more persons namely Mohd Saleem Wani son of Gh Rasool Wani resident of Hardpora Achabal Anantnag (Sarpanch), Bashir Ah Lone son of Mohd Shahbhan lone resident of Nadihal and Mohd Dilawar Khwaja son of Sonnaulla Khwaja resident of Dachinpora Ruhama,” reads the statement.

“The police further said that during the course of the investigation three persons called for questioning one Mohd Saleem from Anantnag who is also a sarpanch of BJP still at large. It transpired that Mehraj and Salim had planned to extort money from Lone Traders illegally. Mehraj had contacted Bashir, who further contacted Dilawar for obtaining some imitation weapons for committing the crime. These have also been recovered during the investigation, and further efforts are underway to unearth more linkages,” it said.