TORONTO

A York Regional Police sergeant has been charged in an extortion plot that allegedly aimed to destroy a Brampton realtor’s reputation by posting accusations online about sexual impropriety with an underage girl.

Peel Regional Police say an investigation was launched in February after the victim of the suspected extortion, who they identified as Dale Mundi, complained “false information” was circulating online that was “detrimental to his personal and professional reputation.”

“It involved issues that would have caused him embarrassment with his family and in his business,” Const. Fiona Thivierge said Thursday.

After the damaging claims were posted online, it’s alleged demands were made for the victim to pay a large sum of money to have the information removed.

Police have not revealed exactly what damaging information was posted on the Internet.

York Sgt. Gurdeep Panaich, 39, of Brampton, is one of five people who have been charged.

A road sergeant out of Markham since 2001, Panaich has been suspended with pay while facing charges of extortion and obstruction of justice, York duty officer Gary Miner said Thursday.

Also facing extortion charges in the case are Inderjit Bains, 46, of Brampton, and Surjit Brar, 46, of Brampton.

Rajkanwat Mangat, 39, of Caledon, is facing a dozen firearms charges and Zorawar Mahal, 25, of Brampton, is charged with criminal harassment.

Panaich will make his first court appearance on April 2.

Thivierge said the victim did the right thing by coming forward.

“The problem with this sort of thing is that once the information is out there, it’s out there for good,” she said, explaining it would be virtually impossible for anyone demanding money to remove the information from the web after it was posted.