Extortion calls to RIL: Two held in Ahmedabad

AHMEDABAD: The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has arrested two city-based professionals for allegedly trying to extort a huge amount of money from Reliance Industries (RIL). According to a complaint filed by RIL, the duo has been accused of trying to extort Rs 50 lakh from RIL for withdrawing their petition filed in the Mumbai High Court opposing the company���s merger with its sister entity, Reliance Petroleum (RPL).

The Ahmedabad Crime Branch arrested Jayendra Shah, a company secretary who had filed a petition in the high court opposing the merger and his associate Dilip Motwani. ���The duo had asked RIL official to pay Rs 50 lakh for withdrawing affidavits filed by them in the Mumbai High Court opposing the merger between RIL and RPL,��� Crime Branch inspector Tarun Barot said.

Shah during his phone calls to RIL officials allegedly said he was assigned the task by his Mumbai-based associates and that he would need to consult them before withdrawing the petition objecting to the merger. The police are also investigating this aspect.

A laptop, mobile phones and some documents have been seized from them and the police are probing the case further. Sources in the crime branch said the data from laptop and mobile phones could lead them to others who could be involved in the case.

Sources said Shah and Motwani called up RIL officials and allegedly told them that they would settle the matter if given Rs 50 lakh. They also demanded immediate release of Rs 10 lakh, the sources added. Following the phone call, RIL officials registered a complaint with the police.

The duo was produced in a local court on Wednesday and remanded to two-day police custody.