The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has arrested two people for allegedly trying to extort Rs 50 lakh from RIL for withdrawing an affidavit filed against the likely merger of Reliance Industries Limited and Reliance Petroleum Limited.

The accused, Jayesh Shah and Dilip Motwani, condemned the merger and termed it as illegal. They filed a petition in the High Court opposing the merger and had also written to the SEBI and the registrar of companies in this regard.

Crime Branch inspector Tarun Barot said, "The duo had asked RIL official to pay Rs50 lakh for withdrawing affidavits filed by them in the Mumbai High Court opposing the merger between RIL and RPL."

Shah allegedly said that he was assigned the task by his Mumbai-based associates and he would need to confer with them before withdrawing the petition objecting to the merger.

As told by sources in crime branch, various documents, laptops and mobile phones seized by them could lead to others.

Reliance officials decided to inform the police and file a complaint with the Ahmedabad crime branch, when the accused raised extortion money to Rs 50 lakh.

Shah and Motwani were arrested on charge of extortion and produced in a local court on Wednesday, where they were sent to two days police remand.