Ludhiana: A Sunet villager is under arrest on the charges of threatening to kill a 9-year-old boy as part of a ₹5 lakh extortion attempt against a family from his own locality.The suspect, Mani Kumar, allegedly targeted Zeenat Begum and her son while her husband, Iqbal Singh, was in Saudi Arabia for work. Police claim that the ordeal began on April 18 when Iqbal Singh received a phone call from the suspect demanding the cash and threatening the child’s life.The family ignored the threats initially, but on April 20, Mani and two of his accomplices allegedly broke into the home while the family was out. They stole cash, electronics, and documents before placing their own lock on the main gate. Later, they reportedly sent pictures of the locked house to Iqbal Singh in Saudi Arabia as proof that they could access his family at will.The investigating officer, assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Jaswinder Singh, said Mani had a record for theft and drug peddling and cops had arrested him shortly after the FIR (first-information report). “The investigation suggests the suspect targeted the family purely for financial gain,” the ASI said, noting that while the parties were known to each other, there was no history of personal rivalry. A search for Mani’s accomplices is on.
