Gurugram police have dismantled an extortion ring preying on vulnerable street vendors and small shopkeepers, arresting two suspects and vowing to protect local businesses from such criminal activity.
Police here have arrested two persons for allegedly running an extortion racket targeting street vendors and small shopkeepers, officials said on Saturday.
An FIR was registered at the Sadar police station on Friday based on a complaint by a paan shop owner under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), police said.
The accused allegedly extorted money from vendors and small shopkeepers to assert dominance in the area. A Crime Unit team from Sector 39 arrested Nitin and Himanshu, both from Jharsa village, within hours of the complaint being lodged on Friday, the officials said.
Two more accused -- Sonu and Shubham of Jharsa -- are on the run, they said.
During the investigation, it was found that Nitin has eight cases registered against him, including extortion, assault and attempt to murder. Shubham has nine cases registered against him, according to police.
"Raids are ongoing to arrest the remaining accused. Any individual or group attempting to threaten, extort or bully citizens, especially small vendors and shopkeepers, will face strict and immediate legal action. Such anti-social elements will not be allowed to operate with impunity under any circumstances," a Gurugram police spokesperson said.