UP MLA, Home Minister’s son Pankaj Singh receives death threat, cops register case

Following the life and extortion threats on his phone from unidentified number to BJP MLA from Noida and son of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Pankaj Singh, the Gautam Budh Nagar police on Sunday have registered a case against unknown. Singh received the message on Saturday and since then security has been beefed up around his house.

Sources say that they suspect that the message was sent by Bahrain-based gangster Ali Budesh Bhai, who had the earlier sent similar extortion threats to several BJP MLAs.

The police said the messages demanded that the payments are made in Bitcoin and they suspect that someone is impersonating Budesh, who lost base in India since 2000.

"Singh on Saturday had informed us verbally about an extortion threat of Rs 10 lakh by a person claiming to be Ali Budesh Bhai. The sender has also threatened to eliminate his family if the amount is not paid. We have asked the cyber cell to trace the number as soon as possible," said Ajay Pal Sharma, Senior Superintendent Of Police, Gautam Budh Nagar.

A case under sections 384 (Punishment for extortion), 507 (Criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication) of the Indian Penal Code and section 66 of the Information Technology Act of 2008.

Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh Police had formed a three-member SIT to probe the extortion threats to as many as 22 BJP MLAs. Similar threat cases were reported from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, New Delhi.

SECURITY TIGHTENED

Pankaj Singh received the message on Saturday and since then security has been beefed up around his house. Sources say that they suspect that the message was sent by Bahrain-based gangster.