Srinagar, September 19th: In a recent development, the police have reported the arrest of a woman who engaged in extortion activities by impersonating a close associate of the police in the Shopian district of south Kashmir.
According to a police statement, Shopian Police conducted a well-coordinated operation resulting in the apprehension of a woman named Mehbooba Akhtar, wife of Shafkat Mohi-ud-din Kuchay and a resident of Kardar, Kulgam. She had been operating as a tout, extracting money from local residents in Shopian.
The woman had deceived individuals by claiming proximity to the local police in Shopian. Under the pretense of securing the release of individuals brought in for questioning or preventive detention by the police, she extorted substantial sums of money from several families in the Shopian area.
Another individual, Ghulam Hassain Shah, son of Mohd Shaban Shah and a resident of Behibagh, Kulgam, was found to be aiding her in this fraudulent scheme. Consequently, a case (FIR No- 158/2023) has been registered at the Shopian Police Station, and an investigation is underway.
Following the receipt of relevant information, both extortionists were summoned to the Police Station for questioning. During the interrogation, the accused revealed the details of their criminal activities and the methods they employed to extract money from people. Gh. Hussain Shah, the co-accused, disclosed that the woman had extorted approximately 8.4 lakh rupees from these families over a period of time. The police managed to recover 2.5 lakh rupees from her possession, with expectations of further recovery in the ongoing investigation.
SSP Shopian, Tanushree, emphasized that extortion constitutes a form of blackmail and cautioned the public against falling victim to such blackmailers. She urged individuals to be vigilant and not succumb to any such extortion attempts.
