On receiving the WhatsApp call, the accused introduced himself as a gangster. (Representational)
Two persons were arrested Saturday for allegedly trying to extort Rs 30 lakh from a family by threatening to kill their children, police said.
One of the accused, Vishnu Mishra (28), a resident of Gautam Buddh Nagar, was a dance instructor and knew the family for the last 10 years. The other accused has been identified as 27-year-old Durga Dutt Singh.
According to the police, on December 20, the father of the children received crossed-out photos of his son and daughter on WhatsApp and a message asking him to receive the call that followed.
On receiving the WhatsApp call, the accused introduced himself as a gangster, telling the man details of his family. Scared, the victim disconnected the call and blocked the number, a police official said.
After a few minutes, the caller sent the same crossed-out photos to the man's wife with the same message and a threat to bear the consequences if the call is not received, the officer said.
Upon receiving the call, she was told to pay Rs 15 lakh for each child else they would be killed the next morning. The accused also told her that he would send details of two accounts where the money would have to be deposited, police said.
She also blocked the number and told her husband about it. Following this, a police complaint was filed.
Ravindra Singh Yadav, Special Commissioner of Police (Crime), said upon receiving the complaint, enquiries and raids were conducted in Gurugram, Ghaziabad, Noida and the trans-Yamuna areas of Delhi.
Following an extensive search the two accused were arrested, he said. "Investigation has revealed that Mishra was the main conspirator. He used to teach dance to families of posh colonies in eastern Delhi. The other accused, Singh, made the extortion calls," the officer said.
Two mobile phones along with the SIM used for making the extortion calls have been recovered, he added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)