Two men, accused of extortion and criminal intimidation, were arrested in Lucknow on Sunday, police said. A 21-year-old man was allegedly cheated of nearly ₹ 10 lakh on the promise of a ₹ 4 crore startup loan.
Police reached the spot and took the two men into custody. A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for cheating and extortion.
The complainant alleged that they claimed links to a criminal gang and threatened to kill him and his family if he failed to pay. They also allegedly threatened to implicate him in a false rape case. When two men, identified as Sadik Hasnain and Shoaib Zafar, allegedly demanded money again, the victim and his relatives detained them and alerted police through the emergency helpline.
When he stopped making payments, the accused allegedly threatened him through video calls and demanded another ₹ 2.5 lakh. After receiving further threats, the youth informed his family and agreed to meet the accused at Kisan Bazaar on October 11.
