MUMBAI: A Borivali-based jeweller has received extortion threats allegedly in the name of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, with the caller demanding up to ₹30 lakh and threatening to kill him if the money was not paid.
Police have registered a case against an unidentified person who sent WhatsApp messages and made calls from an international number. The local crime branch is probing the case.
The first message was received on February 18, demanding ₹30 lakh and warning that the jeweller would be killed if the ransom was not paid within 24 hours. The message allegedly referenced killing him “like Baba Siddique.”
According to the police, the next day, the accused called again and when the jeweller said he could not arrange the money, the demand was brought down to ₹4 lakh. The caller allegedly instructed him to pay ₹1 lakh in cash and transfer the rest to a bank account.
After receiving repeated threats over two days, the jeweller approached the Borivali police.
“After investigating the complaint, we have registered a case against an unknown person for threatening to kill the jeweller for extortion,” said an officer from Borivali police station.
In a similar incident on Saturday, the Vile Parle police arrested a man from Jharkhand for allegedly posing as the same gangster to extort money from a local jeweller. Police are currently investigating whether the two cases are connected.