Extortionists take advantage of benefactors

Kathmandu, December 9:

Here’s a classic tale of the hand that feeds being bitten.

Or to put it more succinctly, the benefactor is being taken for a ride by the hired help.

Gopal Ghimire, general manager of Kuber Merchant and Bittiya Sansthan, Putalisadak was about to be extorted by Sudip Khadka, a former employee of Ghimire. Khadka, hired by Ghimire for making tube well and water treatment plant, had demanded Rs 3 lakh from Ghimire, a Lokanthali resident .

“I used to treat him like my own brother. But I was really shocked when I came to know that he was involved in the extortion,” said Ghimire.

Fortunately, Ghimire managed to nab the extortionists with the help of the police. He was grateful of the police officers of the Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD) and appreciated their help in nabbing the criminals. However, Ghimire believes that the gang could have connections with some bigger extortion gangs.

“They would have been encouraged to continue their business if we had failed to nab them,” he commented.

In this connection, Metropolitan Police Crime Division has arrested four persons of Ramechhap on Sunday night at around 10 pm from Jorpati.

The division is soon going to make their names public.

The police officers accompanying Ghimire were undercover while handing over the money to the members of the group. They were able to nab three of them on the spot.

The gang had threatened to kill Ghimire, if he failed to provide the money on time.

Police said Sudip Khadka, 23, of Ramechhap, currently residing in Koteswor, was the mastermind.

The police had nabbed Hom Magar, 23, Prakash Lama, 21, and Bikram Lama, 22 in connection with the extortion along with Khadga.

Meanwhile the Metropolitan Police Crime Division has also arrested Ram Shrestha, who was involved in the abduction of businessman Omkar Bhattachan around a year ago. His accomplices Bhimsen Pundit and Rohit have already been nabbed.