Gurgaon: A property dealer allegedly fabricated an extortion threat involving an 18-year-old boy living in the US to make police believe he was on the hit list of a Rohtak-based gangster. The gangster was recently detained in the US and is wanted in several murder, Arms Act and extortion cases across Haryana, Delhi and other states.Dharmendra, a resident of Sector 5, allegedly arranged for threatening messages to be sent to his own phone from a US-based mobile number owned by a 18-year-old boy. He then approached Sector 5 police station, claiming he was receiving extortion threats in the gangster’s name.Taking the complaint seriously, police provided him security cover comprising four to five personnel. The cops were deployed outside his office and also accompanied him for several weeks.What initially appeared to be an extortion threat from the gangster later turned out to be a plot allegedly devised by the property dealer to secure police protection.The deception came to light when police examined the messages and traced the mobile number from which they had been sent. During the investigation, officers found that the number was linked to a family whose members lived in the city. When police contacted the boy’s father, he confirmed that the number belonged to his son, who was staying in the US.Police then contacted the boy on the same number. During questioning, the boy admitted that he had sent the threatening messages to Dharmendra at his request. He told investigators that Dharmendra had approached him and persuaded him to send the messages, knowing that an international number would make the threat appear credible.According to police, the boy’s location in the US was a crucial part of the plan, as Dharmendra wanted the messages to appear as if they had originated from abroad and were linked to the gangster’s network.As the probe progressed, police confronted Dharmendra with their findings. Officers said he eventually admitted to having orchestrated the episode. The investigation found that the extortion threat had been fabricated and that neither the gangster nor his associates were involved.“Dharmendra knew that his friend’s son was abroad and therefore asked him for his number. He contacted the boy and convinced him to send threatening messages, following which the boy did so. During the investigation, the entire plot was exposed and his security was subsequently withdrawn,” a police officer said.Police also found that Dharmendra had been involved in multiple property-related disputes. Investigators are examining whether these disputes prompted him to seek police protection by creating a false impression of a threat to his life. Sources said an FIR has been registered against him in a cheating case.“People many times tend to fake the threat. The case has raised questions about how a fabricated threat managed to secure a police security deployment. The deployment was made on the assumption that he faced a serious threat from a gangster accused in several serious criminal cases. The US-based boy is pursuing higher studies there and this man managed to convince a student for faking threat,” an officer said.Police said the alleged conspiracy showed how the name of a notorious criminal, linked to offences such as murder, extortion and illegal arms activities, was used to strengthen a fabricated claim.Investigators are examining the dealer’s property disputes and previous criminal antecedents as part of the inquiry. Police have initiated inquest proceedings and will decide on appropriate legal action after completing the probe. Further action will depend on the evidence collected against those involved.Police also found that Dharmendra had been involved in multiple property-related disputes. Investigators are examining whether his concerns over these disputes prompted him to seek police protection by creating a false impression of a threat to his life. He had also been booked earlier in a cheating case, sources said.“People many times tend to fake the threat. The case has raised questions about how a fabricated threat managed to secure a police security deployment. The deployment was made on the assumption that he faced a serious threat from a gangster accused in several serious criminal cases. The US-based boy is pursuing higher studies there and this man managed to convince a student for faking threat,” an officer said.The alleged conspiracy also highlights how the name of a notorious criminal, whose network is associated with serious offences including murder, extortion and illegal arms activities, was allegedly used to lend weight to a fabricated threat.Investigators are also examining the dealer’s property disputes and previous criminal antecedents as part of the inquiry.Meanwhile, police have initiated inquest proceedings in the matter and will decide on appropriate legal action after completing the probe. Further action will depend on the findings of the investigation and the evidence collected against those involved, police said.
