Assam: 4 Arrested for Impersonating 'Lashkar-e-Taiba' Members in Cachar Extortion Case

The Cachar police on Thursday have arrested four individuals for allegedly impersonating members of the banned Pakistani Islamist Salafi jihadist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba and demanding extortion money.

The accused reportedly called an official of Jandu Construction India Pvt. Ltd, the company involved in the Bharatmala road construction project, and demanded ₹10 crore, threatening dire consequences if the payment was not made.

Following a complaint from the company official, Katigorah police launched an investigation and arrested two individuals, Alik Uddin and Ajir Uddin, from Leverputa village in Katigorah. Based on their statements, the police then apprehended the mastermind, Baktar Hussain, from Meghalaya. Another suspect, Samsir Uddin Borbhuyan, was also arrested from Meghalaya.

According to Cachar Superintendent of Police Numal Mahatta, investigations confirmed that the arrested individuals had no links to Lashkar-e-Taiba. Instead, they were criminals attempting to extort money by falsely using the terror outfit’s name. The group was reportedly involved in various criminal activities across Meghalaya and Cachar.

The police have seized the mobile phone used to make the extortion call. Meanwhile, two more members of the gang are believed to have fled to another state, and efforts are underway to track them down. The arrested individuals are currently being interrogated as part of the ongoing investigation.

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