Ludhiana, March 20 -- A fresh spate of extortion calls allegedly made in the name of gangsters has triggered panic among the city's business community, with at least four businessmen - three from the bakery sector and one jeweller - targeted over the past four days, exposing what police believe is a growing pattern of organised intimidation.

Police sources said the threat calls are being linked to notorious gangsters such as Goldy Brar and Gopi Lahoria, prompting heightened alert across multiple police divisions.

The back-to-back complaints have raised concerns about a coordinated extortion network targeting traders for large sums.

In one of the latest cases, Gurpreet Singh, associated with the prominent Pal Ji Bakery chain, approached...