Ayodhya Nagar police foiled an extortion bid by arresting a criminal who had hurled a petrol bomb on a builder’s office to threaten him, on Saturday night. The extortion attempt was highly dramatic and so was the police action. Accused had demanded Rs 50 lakh from Ramdas Sahu (36), a resident of Sagar Estate in Ayodhya Nagar. The accused, identified as Than Singh Thekre (32), had called Sahu and asked for money. However, he hurled a bomb at his office on Friday. Police said a two-wheeler was damaged in the incident. The accused then rang the victim and again threatened him with a dialogue that it was only a trailer and if his demands were not met, the victim can’t even imagine how horrible the film will be for him. Cops received information about the bomb attack on Friday and they started search for the accused.

Thekre had ordered the builder to send his driver with cash to a said location and he agreed to it. However, a cop, posing as the driver, reached the location with a bag carrying cash which were nothing but a bundle of newspapers.

According to SHO Nilesh Awasthi, the accused had told victim to bring cash but Sahu denied to it claiming that he cannot drive a four-wheeler.

He then asked him to send his driver with cash and with a mobile phone of keypad. The cop who posed as a driver reached the said location. Police said the accused was instructing the driver to reach a said location and then he directed him to reach another location. It all went for over an hour as he kept on changing the destination, said police.

Once he called the cop to Piplani petrol pump and then asked him to reach Ayodhya Nagar ground. The accused then asked him to reach Ratnagiri Square and then to Ayodhya Nagar and then to Piplani petrol pump, added the cop. Police said the accused was chasing him and after he was assured that no one was following them, he instructed the driver to drop the cash bag near a bus and leave. The team of cops, however, was deployed all around in civil dress.

SHO Awasthi said that as soon as he tried to grab the bag the cops caught him. He was brought to police station where he confirmed that he had used a stolen bike to hurl bomb. He had brought a mobile phone from a drunkard at a liquor shop in Nishatpura. He said that he needed money for building his house in Bilkhiria area of Bhopal, he said. Thekre claimed to police that he was an Army man but police are yet to confirm it.