An IAS aspirant has been arrested by the northwest Delhi police for allegedly trying to extort `52 lakhs from the head of a coaching institute, which he wanted to join. The police said that the accused had thought that the owner was a soft target and wanted to either rob him or extort money from him using “threatening tactics” that included sending threat letters, along with bottles of poison and a toy pistol. He wanted to get admission in the institute and also fund his sister’s marriage.
The accused had also thrown acid on a washerman, who used to sit outside the house of his target, back in August and had also sent him threat letters hoping to “pressurise” his target into coughing up the money.
According to the police, a complaint was received from Dharmender Kumar, director of Patanjali IAS Coaching Institute, who lived in Outram Lines on November 16. He had received three letters —one at his residence, the other at his office and the third delivered to the washerman — demanding `52 lakhs. The same thing was repeated on November 20.
Subsequently, the police deployed a plainclothes team at Mr Kumar’s house and the accused, identified as Manoj Kumar, a resident of Wazirabad village, was arrested on Monday.