MUMBAI: The city police on Friday began a probe into alleged threats and intimidation to noted scholar and anti-communal crusader, Dr Ram Puniyani, activists' groups said here.
The police initiated the probe after a delegation of various civil society groups called on joint police commissioner Vinay Choubey and apprised him of the threats to the 73-year-old scholar.
Mr Choubey then directed deputy commissioner of police Sangramsingh Nishandar to launch investigation into the matter.
On Thursday, Mr Puniyani was abused and threatened on the phone and ordered "to stop his activities and leave within 15 days, or else."
Earlier, on March 9, three unknown people had visited his residence in Powai on the pretext of making enquiries of his passport application, though he had not made any such application.
The unidentified trio made enquiries about Mr Puniyani and his family, his past affiliation with IIT-Bombay and left afterwards, following which Mr Puniyani lodged a complaint with the Powai police station.
However, there was reportedly no action into the complaint nor serious attempts were made to trace and identify the strange visitors, although the close circuit TV camera footage and other details were provided to the police.
Today, he filed another police complaint on yesterday's intimidating phone calls and followed up by meeting with Jt CP Choubey along with a delegation of civil society activists.
Then, Jt CP Choubey has assured proper investigation and measures for Mr Puniyani's personal security.
Representatives of All India Secular Forum, Anhad Bharat Bachao Andolan, Citizens for Justice and Peace, Centre for Study of Society and Secularism, Human Rights Defenders Alert-India, Indian Christian Women's Movement-Mumbai, Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy, Forum Against Oppression of Women, Free Speech Collective, National Alliance of People's Movements, People's Commission on Shrinking Democratic Spaces and People's Union for Civil Liberties, were present at today's meet.