Batala, May 13 -- Police on Monday exposed a staged extortion attack allegedly masterminded by a local showroom owner to fraudulently secure police protection.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Suhail Mir said that Varinder Singh alias Vicky, owner of Fashion London showroom and resident of New Top City Colony, orchestrated the entire incident with help from overseas associates.

On April 29, 2025, Varinder reported receiving extortion calls demanding Rs.50 lakh allegedly from gangster Dharma Sandhu. The same evening unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants fired shots at the shutter of his showroom and a Facebook account under the name Dharma Sandhu claimed responsibility for the attack.

Later, a thorough investigation revealed the...