The Mahalakshmi Layout police are on the lookout for a gang who allegedly posed as Income Tax officials and kidnapped an onion merchant to extort money from him citing tax evasion on Thursday.
The trader, Srinivasa, has a shop at the APMC yard. He was returning home in his car when he was stopped by another vehicle. The occupants identified themselves as Income Tax officers and forced him into their car headed towards Chikkajala. They showed him bank statements and accused him of evasion, and demanded ₹50 lakh for the case to be closed. “They assaulted him when he told them to send him a notice which he would fight through legal channels. The accused and reduced the amount to ₹20 lakh and demanded he pay them ₹5 lakh immediately,” said the police.
The victim sought a day to arrange the money, following which the accused dropped him off near Mehkri Circle in Hebbal and warned him to keep the money ready. He filed a complaint with the jurisdictional Mahalakshmi layout police station. “We have analysed CCTV footage and have some definite clues. Efforts are on to track them down,” a senior police officer said.
