The operation cell of Chandigarh Police has busted an extortion racket active in the tricity with the arrest of two members of the Deepu Banur gang.

A close associate of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, Banur was allegedly operating the extortion racket from behind bars.

The arrested accused have been identified as Ravi Kumar, alias Ravi Banur, 34, of Balmiki Basti, Banur, Mohali, and Som Dutt, 34, of Maloya Colony, Chandigarh.

They were nabbed from a check post near Shiv Temple in Phase 2, Industrial Area, following secret information. Their accomplice, Amandeep Singh, alias Mani Rajput, is at large.

As per police, the gang made extortion calls to prominent businessmen, including club owners, restaurant owners, hoteliers and realtors residing or operating in Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula and other parts of Haryana.

“While many didn’t complain to police and surrendered to the demands of the gang, a few alerted the police after serious threats,” a cop said.

Sources said the gang used pictures of Lawrence Bishnoi while calling or sending messages through various social media applications.

Notably, the crime branch of Chandigarh Police in 2020 had also arrested members of the Deepu Banur gang and recovered weapons, including a US-made pistol and country made pistols, from their possession.

The accused in the present case have been booked under Sections 384 (extortion), 386 (extortion by putting any person in fear of death or of grievous hurt), 34 (acts done in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Arms Act.

On Wednesday, the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) of Punjab Police had arrested a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang who had been making extortion calls to affluent businessmen in Chandigarh, Mohali and adjoining areas.

In May this year, the operation cell had busted another extortion gang by arresting three shooters who were allegedly planning to eliminate the owner of a lounge bar in Sector 26 after he refused to surrender to their extortion demand.

The trio was allegedly operating on the directions of gangster Gurjant Singh, alias Janta, the brother of Jaspreet Singh Jassi, who, along with gangster Jaipal Singh Bhullar, was killed in an encounter in Kolkata in 2021.