LUCKNOW: BSP deputy legislative party leader Uma Shankar Singh has received an extortion threat over email from an unknown source demanding `1 crore.
In May, over 20 BJP MLAs had received extortion WhatsApp messages and calls demanding `10 lakh each within three days. Failure would result in death of family members, warned the messages sent in the name of gangster Ali Budesh Bhai. He was once a close associate of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.
According to the MLA from Rasra in Ballia district, he received a text message from a mobile phone and the sender identified himself as ‘Dawood Ebrahim Tax’. “Initially, I received a text message on August 6 and it asked me to check my personal e-mail. I ignored the message and it was repeated on August 8.”
The second message read: “Last warning ..yes or no.”
On checking his mail, the MLA found a chilling message. “Warning Jina hai ya marna hai...tu decide kar...tere liye 1 goli kafi hai...main nahi chahta ki Baghi Ballia ka Janta ka Sewak dunia chhod de...kimat 1 crore...yes ya no... (Warning you want to live or die...you decide...just one bullet is enough for you...I don’t want baghi Ballia’s worker to die...pay 1 crore...yes or no).’’
Singh reached the Gomti Nagar police station, Lucknow and lodged an FIR against the unidentified sender of the text message and the e-mail. “My family is worried. It should be probed in the right earnest.”