Woman nabbed in extortion case

Mon, May 12 12:35 AM

THE CRIME Branch of Delhi Police on Saturday arrested a woman who is part of a gang allegedly involved in extorting money from affluent people by threatening to implicate them in false rape cases. Police said it is the same gang which was responsible for the suicide of a retired colonel three years ago.

A retired colonel had committed suicide in August 2005 after the same accused woman threatened to implicate him in a false rape case if he did not cough up Rs 40 lakh. Retired Colonel H.

S. Gill, who was posted with NDPL, had committed suicide inside Star hotel in Vasant Kunj on August 1, 2005.

He had left behind a three-page suicide note where he had alleged that Neerja Sharma, a policeman and a doctor were responsible for his death. Notably the Vasant Kunj Police had filed a charge sheet against Neerja Sharma and a police officer two years ago.

The case is still under trial and ACP Roop Ram Sharma was put under suspension. The gang's latest target was a north-west Delhi based orthopedic Dr Mukesh Aggarwal.

The woman threatened to implicate him in a false rape case if he did not give her money. Aggarwal has alleged that the woman, Neerja Sharma, came to his clinic three years ago with a complaint of pain in her back.

"She was treated in front of a physiotherapist. After a day a man who identified himself as ACP Ram Chander of Delhi Police came to my clinic and told me whether I pay any tax to the police.

Then he said from now on him and Neerja Sharma will be recovering the money from me," said Dr Mukesh Aggarwal, the complainant. Aggarwal approached the Delhi High Court in September on whose intervention a case was registered against the woman and seven men including four policemen.

"We have arrested Neerja Sharma and are probing the roles of other people involved in the case," said Anil Shukla, DCP (Crime).

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