Death threat to Kejriwal, caller poses as Bishnoi gang member to demand Rs 7 crore

AAP MLA Jarnail Singh said he received a phone call from a man claiming to be a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, who demanded Rs 7 crore as extortion money.

In Short

• AAP MLA Jarnail Singh received the phone call and WhatsApp messages
• He lodged his complaint with the Mohali Police on November 6
• The police have registered a case and a probe is underway

A death threat issued in the name of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and his daughter, Harshita Kejriwal, has turned out to be a hoax, top Punjab Police sources said. The man apprehended in connection with the case is a retired clerk from Rohtak and has no links to the gangster or his network, the sources said.

The development comes days after AAP MLA Jarnail Singh alleged that a caller claiming to be a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang had threatened to kill Kejriwal and his daughter unless Rs 7 crore was paid as ransom.

The MLA from Delhi's Tilak Nagar constituency had said he received a threatening phone call and WhatsApp messages from the caller. Singh approached the Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) on November 6 and lodged a complaint, stating that the caller had identified himself as a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

According to Singh's complaint, the caller demanded Rs 7 crore from Kejriwal and threatened to kill him and his daughter if the money was not paid.

Based on the complaint, Mohali Police registered a case under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act. The investigation was assigned to Inspector Sunil Kumar of the Cyber Crime Police Station.

Top Punjab Police sources said the threat was not serious and that the man apprehended had no connection with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The threat was found to be a hoax, they added.

JARNAIL SINGH SOUGHT SECURITY FOR KEJRIWAL

In his complaint, Singh had also sought adequate security for Kejriwal and his family in view of the alleged threat.

The 58-year-old politician had received a death threat earlier in 2019, when he was serving as Delhi Chief Minister. His office had received emails threatening to kill him, following which the Chief Minister's Office lodged a complaint and the Delhi Police launched an investigation.

- Ends