Extortion calls continue to be a concern in Punjab, and the Punjab Police says many of these cases are linked to criminal syndicates operating from outside India and speaking on the issue, Punjab Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) Praveen Kumar Sinha explained how these networks work, the challenges faced by investigators, and why public cooperation is important.
According to SDGP Sinha, a number of extortion calls are being received in Punjab and said that many of these calls are believed to be made by foreign-based criminal groups, he even added that around 50 to 70 people, who are living in different countries, are allegedly involved in such rackets. These groups often use local people in Punjab to help carry out their plans.
He said that whenever extortion calls are reported, Punjab Police starts an investigation, in many cases, the police have been able to trace the calls to people involved in the network. Several local accused have already been arrested, and many serious criminal cases have also been solved during these investigations.
However, Sinha said that investigating such cases is not easy and one of the biggest challenges is that the people making these calls are located outside India, collecting data and evidence from other countries involves long legal procedures and cooperation between governments.
He also pointed out that most extortion calls are made through internet-based communication platforms such as WhatsApp and other data calling services and this makes tracing the caller and collecting evidence more difficult.
To deal with this challenge, Punjab Police has created a dedicated cell that focuses on bringing wanted criminals back to India through the legal extradition process, Sinha said Punjab Police has already succeeded in bringing several wanted criminals back to the country, where they are now facing legal action.
He also revealed that more than three dozen extradition cases are currently at an advanced stage, and police teams are actively following the required legal process to bring those accused to India.
Explaining the process further, he said extradition is legally complex and often takes time and the police have formed a special team whose main responsibility is to follow every case through the Government of India, work with the Ministry of External Affairs, coordinate with foreign governments, and complete the legal procedures needed to bring these accused back to face trial.
When asked whether extortion cases have reduced, Sinha said there are signs that the number of cases may have gone down however, he said there is no exact data because many people who receive extortion calls do not report them to the police.
He made a direct appeal to the public, urging everyone not to remain silent if they receive an extortion call. He requested people to immediately inform their local police officers, senior police officials, or any authority they trust within the Punjab Police or the Punjab Government.
Sinha assured people that every extortion complaint is taken seriously and said police investigate every reported case and try to reach the root of the matter despite legal and jurisdictional challenges, he also assured that the identity of complainants will be kept confidential as far as possible. According to him, maintaining confidentiality is important not only for the safety of the complainant but also for the success of the investigation.
He stressed that there is often a gap between the actual number of extortion calls received by people and the number of complaints officially reported to the police, because of this, he urged the public to come forward and report every such incident.
Punjab Police says public cooperation is essential in tackling extortion networks. While legal action against criminals operating from abroad may take time, the police maintain that every complaint helps investigators identify patterns, trace local links, and strengthen cases against those involved.
