Pune woman receives Rs5-crore extortion call from ‘Bishnoi gang’

Pune: A 34-year-old woman from Wakad on Thursday received an extortion call demanding Rs5 crore from a caller claiming to be a member of the gangster Arzoo Bishnoi gang. The woman, who runs a cloud kitchen business, approached the Wakad police and lodged a complaint.An officer from Wakad police said the caller used an internet-based calling service to contact the woman. He identified himself as a member of the Arzoo Bishnoi gang, demanded Rs5 crore and threatened her with dire consequences. “The woman’s husband had also received an extortion call from the Bishnoi gang while he was in Dubai,” the officer said.In May this year, gunshots were fired at a furniture mall in Ravet as part of an extortion bid of Rs2 crore. The Pimpri Chinchwad crime branch later arrested three accused in the case. More recently, alleged members of the Bishnoi gang opened fire at a steel manufacturing unit in Manjari Budruk and also threatened the owner of a pharmacy store while demanding extortion money.