BENGALURU: Even as the state government is preparing for the Global Investors Meet in about four months, a grim development has shaken the establishment. The MD and CEO of Metro Cash and Carry, Arvind Mendiratta, has received a ‘death threat’. Metro sources confirmed that they have sought an appointment with Home Minister Araga Jnanendra, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and the police top brass to inform them about the threat.
The handwritten note in Tamil says that Metro should sell only to certain companies and names those firms, with a warning that if it is not done, the MD will not be alive. Mendiratta, however, was not available for comments. In its letter to the authorities, Metro stated, “Given the gravity of the threat, we would request your intervention on priority.’’
Mendiratta has been instrumental in turning Metro into a profitable and almost a billion-dollar business in the country. He is an alumnus of IIT Delhi and IIM Calcutta, and has been the FICCI retail and internal trade committee chairman for the last three years. When contacted, Araga Jnanendra said, “We have received the information. I have spoken to the police about it.’’
Former CM HD Kumaraswamy said, “The death threat has to be taken seriously and investigated by the police. As the state prepares for the investors meet in a few months, the authorities have to ensure the safety of the investors.’’Mohandas Pai, former director of Infosys and chairman of Manipal Global Education, suggested that the Metro team should meet Jnanendra and seek personal security for Mendiratta.
Bengaluru is not new to such threats to the rich and powerful. When T Madiyal was Bengaluru police commissioner, a private company received a threat and had informed the police, but hesitated to file a formal complaint. In 2012, real estate magnate Dayanand Pai was attacked and shot at in Basavanagudi.
Metro Cash and Carry, which has invested Rs 2,300 crore in the country and has 33 stores, is headquartered in Bengaluru.