Nashik: Nashik Rural police arrested three men attempting to extort money from a Malegaon trader, warning him that he would face dire consequences if he did not pay Rs5 lakh to them. Police swung into action on a complaint from the trader.The suspects, Abujar Shakil Ahmed (26), Shish Mohammad Amar Ansari (20) and Mohammad Anas Ansari Rab (26), are all residents of Malegaon. Pawarwadi police of Malegaon said that the trio was arrested on March 24 and are currently in police custody. Thirty-three-year-old trader Ansari Saud Yasir Abdul Kuddus of Malegaon approached Pawarwadi police on Friday saying an unidentified person dropped a live cartridge and a letter in an envelope at his doorsteps at Golden Nagar in Malegaon. The letter sought Rs five lakh, and warned that if he dared approach police, he would face dire consequences.Kuddus rushed to Pawarwadi police and informed them of the live cartridge and letter dropped at his doorsteps on the night of March 21.Inspector Gulabrao Patil of Pawarwadi police station said taking into account the serious nature of the offence, a team was formed on the instructions of SP Arti Singh and Additional SP of Malegaon Nilotpal to trace the criminals.CCTV footage of the area was scanned and a technical analysis conducted before police on Sunday arrested the three suspects from different areas of Malegaon. A motorcycle, a country-made weapon and three live cartridges were recovered from the three.Patil said suspect Abujar holds a diploma in civil engineering. His sister is married into the family of the trader whom the gang had targeted. Abujar had suffered losses in a land deal and was in need of money. He roped in the other two and was the brain behind the plot, police said, adding that he was the one to buy the country-made pistol and threaten the trader. Another suspect, Shish, is a student in his second year of the B.Com course.

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