Police have arrested two persons, who allegedly tried to extort Rs 50 lakh (Rs 5 million) from Reliance Industries for withdrawing their petition filed in Bombay high court opposing the company's merger with group firm RPL.
The Ahmedabad Crime Branch arrested Jayendra Shah, a company secretary who had filed a petition in the high court opposing the merger, and his associate Dilip Motwani.
"The duo had asked RIL official to pay Rs 50 lakh for withdrawing affidavits filed by them in the Bombay high court opposing the merger between RIL and RPL," Crime Branch inspector Tarun Barot told PTI.
Police suspect professional rivalry in the case as Shah during his phone calls to RIL officials used to say that he was assigned the task by some Mumbai-based associates and he would need to consult them before withdrawing the petition objecting to the merger.
A laptop, mobile phones and some documents have been seized from them and police are further probing the case.
Sources in the crime branch said the data from laptop and mobile phones could lead them to others who could be involved in the case.