In a recent development in the Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, the local police have apprehended a woman and her associate on charges of extortion, as they allegedly posed as close aides of the police force. The arrests come as a result of a coordinated effort by the authorities to combat fraudulent activities in the area.
The woman in question has been identified as Mehbooba Akhtar, the wife of Shafkat Mohi-ud-din Kuchay, a resident of Kardar, Kulgam. According to a statement released by the Shopian Police and reported by news agency GNS, Mehbooba Akhtar was acting as a tout and had been extorting money from locals in Shopian by deceiving them into believing she had influence within the police department.
The statement further elucidated that Akhtar, under the pretense of aiding the release of individuals who had been brought in for questioning and preventive detention by the police, had managed to extort substantial sums of money from several families in Shopian. To carry out this scheme, she received assistance from an accomplice identified as Ghulam Hassain Shah, the son of Modh Shaban Shah and a resident of Behibagh, Kulgam.
In response to these criminal activities, a case has been registered under FIR No- 158/2023, invoking relevant sections of the law at the Shopian Police Station. An investigation into the matter is now underway. Both individuals involved in the extortion operation were summoned to the Police Station for questioning, leading to the disclosure of their entire operation and modus operandi.
According to the statement, Ghulam Hassain Shah, the co-accused, revealed that Mehbooba Akhtar had managed to extort a substantial amount of approximately 8.4 lakh rupees from multiple families over a period of time. During the police operation, authorities successfully recovered 2.5 lakh rupees from her possession, with expectations of further recovery in the ongoing investigation.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shopian, Tanushree, emphasized the seriousness of extortion, labeling it a form of blackmail. She urged the public not to fall prey to such extortionists and instead encouraged them to reach out to the police for assistance. SSP Tanushree highlighted the community’s role in aiding law enforcement to eradicate all forms of crime and contribute to making Shopian a safer and crime-free society.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
