Khargone, April 3 Fifteen people were arrested in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh, for allegedly spreading terror and demanding extortion in the name of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, a police official said on Friday.
The investigation began after three people on motorcycles fired at the home of industrialist Dilip Rathore in Bhilgaon, under the Kasrawad police station limits, on March 16. The next day, they demanded Rs 10 crore as extortion from him, the official said.
"The demand for Rs 10 crore was made through a WhatsApp call from a foreign number. The callers claimed they were part of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. They also sent a video of the shooting at the industrialist's home," the official said.
Fifteen people, including Rajpal Chandrawat, have been arrested, along with three cars, one motorcycle, four pistols, 10 cartridges, 10 mobile phones, and Rs 44 lakh in cash, he said.
The investigation revealed that the masterminds are Ujjain resident Lokendra Panwar and Dhar resident Sachin Patidar, who had a financial dispute with the industrialist, the official said.
"Six special teams were formed to solve the case. The arrests were made based on CCTV footage, technical evidence, and tip-offs. There is also involvement of people from Gujarat, Haryana, and Rajasthan," said Superintendent of Police Ravindra Verma.
An FIR has also been registered against gangster Harry Boxer, who is believed to be abroad, the SP added.
Several of the arrested accused already have serious criminal cases registered against their names, he said, adding that efforts are on to apprehend those who are still at large.