During interrogation, the accused informed that he had been in debt and had to repay Rs 15 lakh.
A middleman working with a vegetable trader in Madhya Pradesh's Indore was arrested today for allegedly threatening to abduct the latter's family members and attempting to extort Rs 1 crore from him, police said.
The accused worked as a middleman for trader Kallu Bagri at Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Fruit-Vegetable Market in the city, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Aditya Mishra told reporters.
The accused allegedly sent anonymous letters to Bagri in April demanding Rs 25 lakh, then Rs 40 lakh and later Rs 1 crore, he said.
The letters also contained threats that if the amount was not paid, the trader's children, son-in-law and grandson would be kidnapped, the official said.
Based on statements of about 100 people and details of phone calls, the police zeroed in on the accused, he said.
During interrogation, the accused informed that he had been in debt and had to repay Rs 15 lakh, the official said.
"The accused has claimed that he had approached the trader for a loan, but the latter flatly refused to lend to him at the behest of one of his employees," Mishra said.
The police had deployed armed personnel in plain clothes around the trader's house and shop for security considering the threatening letters, he said.
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