n February 8: The managing director of Pushpanjali Hospital, Dr Sushil Oberoi is shot. Minutes later, the extortionists call him up -- ``You were lucky today.Pay up. This is your last chance.''

n March 11: Amit Jain, son of a leading industrialisescapes a bid on his life .The extortionists were demanding Rs 10 lakh from the Jains.

Extortion is the latest buzz-word among criminals operating in Gurgaon -- and what better way than to use cash-card operated mobile phones to deliver threats, making it almost impossible for the police to trace the caller.

And despite all-out efforts, the police have been unable to make much headway. As the situation goes from bad to worse, the police have now turned to the anti-extortion cell of the Delhi police. The Haryana government has announced an award of Rs 1 lakh for information on extortion threats, which can be given at 320177, 321777, 320777.

``The calls are made from cellular phones in moving vehicles, so their location can never be pinpointed. These men don't belong to the Dawood Ibrahim gang, but are local criminals,'' says a senior police official.

Haryana Chief Minister Bansi Lal stepped in recently and decided to monitor things himself. The CM dramatically told the press that ``the callers have been identified and would soon be caught.'' The Director General of Haryana Police, S.K. Sethi was specifically deputed at Gurgaon for four days to crack the extortion racket. But still the threats kept coming.

Admits one senior district police official: ``Our line of investigation is a little vague. The hunt for the extortionists has turned into a wild goose chase.'' As for the extortionists, they keep growing in confidence. They don't seem to be making any mistakes. ``These guys survey the area and their targets well,'' says a police officer. ``The manner in which they made attempts on the lives of Dr Oberoi, the Jain brothers and Amit Jain suggest that they mean business. It was just because these people were fortunate that they survived,'' says Vimal Kapoor (name changed), a prominent entrepreneur who has been receiving threats. Citizens feel that such a situation warrants immediate action and results. ``Nobody feels safe anymore, you never know when a bullet is going to hit you. The police have given security guards to some of us on demand, but until the culprits are nabbed no one can live in peace,'' says a prominent trader.