Ludhiana, July 23 -- What initially appeared to be a dramatic case involving alleged firing on a national highway and a Rs.50-lakh ransom demand has taken a surprising turn, with Khanna police claiming that the man accused of extortion was actually seeking financial assistance for his visually impaired father's medical treatment.

The case was registered on July 8 after professor Sumer Seeda lodged a complaint alleging that two scooter-borne youths had fired shots near his vehicle on the National Highway on the evening of July 7. He further claimed that after reaching Patiala, he received a video call through Facebook Messenger during which a demand for Rs.50 lakh was allegedly made.

The police have arrested a UP resident Dolinder Soni o...