New Delhi: A Delhi-based singer allegedly received a series of extortion and threat calls for Rs 5 crore from foreign-based gangster Deepak Nandal.According to police, the singer’s manager first received an extortion call from a Portugal-based number, followed by multiple threatening voice notes and another call from a different international number. The caller identified himself as Nandal.Police said the intimidation escalated when the singer himself started receiving threat calls and voice notes on WhatsApp from foreign numbers. In one such call, the accused allegedly warned him to “talk sense” into his manager, adding that if the matter was not resolved, they would land up at his doorstep. The caller also allegedly threatened the singer that bullets would be fired at his shows.The singer told investigators that the caller repeatedly used abusive language, issued threats and then switched off the phone, making it difficult to trace him.Based on the complaint and preliminary inquiry, the special cell registered a case under sections 308(5) (extortion) and 351(4) (criminal intimidation) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police are yet to arrest anybody in the case. Investigators are examining the call records, WhatsApp communications and the international numbers linked to the threats.Nandal is a Haryana-based gangster who is believed to be operating a well-connected extortion and criminal syndicate from abroad. His network remains primarily active in Gurgaon, Delhi and adjoining areas, and has been linked to a series of contract killings, armed assaults and extortion attempts targeting businessmen, builders and local event organisers.One of the major incidents linked to Nandal was a realtor shootout last Sept, when his gang allegedly fired more than 30 rounds at the MNR Buildmark office in Gurgaon’s Sector 45 over a financial dispute. The attack created panic in the area and Nandal later publicly claimed responsibility for it on social media.In another high-profile case, his men opened fire at the showroom of a prominent fashion designer in Gurgaon, allegedly as part of an extortion bid. The incident triggered a crackdown on the gang by the special task force.The gang has also been linked to attacks involving associates of Haryanvi pop singer Rahul Fazilpuria. Investigators have connected the syndicate to multiple violent incidents, including the murder of his financier Rohit Shokeen and a firing incident at the residence of event organiser Saurabh Yadav, in which a constable was injured.
