In a shocking revelation from Faridkot, the Sadiq police have booked a mother, her son, and an accomplice for running an international extortion racket targeting local businessmen. The investigation uncovered that the mother-son duo systematically gathered information on potential victims to execute the scheme from abroad.
The accused have been identified as Paramjit Kaur, her son Harmanpreet Singh, alias Hami, who is currently based overseas, and Sonu Singh, a local accomplice. Paramjit Kaur reportedly scouted local markets, noting down the names and phone numbers of shop owners directly from their boards. She passed this intelligence to her son, who used international WhatsApp numbers to call business owners and demand large sums of money. According to the FIR, Harmanpreet pretended to have intimate knowledge about the victims’ families, using the information supplied by his mother to instill fear and exert pressure.
The extortion racket came to light following a complaint from Jaswinder Singh, a cloth merchant from Sadiq. On January 19, he received a WhatsApp call from an international number demanding Rs 80 lakh and threatening his family, even mentioning the school his son attended. Police traced the digital footprint of these calls, which led them to two local contacts, Harjit Singh and Khushdeep Singh, who helped identify Harmanpreet Singh as the main perpetrator. Further investigation linked Paramjit Kaur and Sonu Singh to the operations, revealing the full scope of the extortion racket.
The Sadiq police have registered a case against all three accused and confirmed that the investigation is ongoing to identify and apprehend any additional local accomplices. The case has raised alarm among local traders, highlighting the increasing misuse of digital platforms for international crimes that have direct and serious consequences at the local level.
This case underscores the growing challenge of cross-border digital crime and the need for vigilance among business communities. Modern communication tools, while convenient, can be exploited to create fear and extract money from unsuspecting victims, making awareness and prompt reporting essential.
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Key highlights include the mother-son duo allegedly orchestrating an extortion racket from Faridkot, Paramjit Kaur gathering shop owner details, son Harmanpreet Singh making international threats, Sonu Singh aiding locally, and the complaint by merchant Jaswinder Singh that exposed the operation. Police are continuing their investigation to dismantle the network entirely.