Delhi CM and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal was targeted with a death threat and extortion case after a caller demanded ₹7 crore from him (allegedly representing Lawrence Bishnoi gang).
The caller reportedly threatened Kejriwal’s daughter Harshita Kejriwal as well. Punjab police filed a complaint and probe into the matter.
The matter came to light after AAP MLA from Delhi’s Tilak Nagar constituency Jarnail Singh approached Mohali Police. He told them that on November 6 an unidentified person called him and WhatsApped him threatening him saying he was with Lawrence Bishnoi gang and asked him to give Rs 7 crore demand to Kejriwal.
The message allegedly said Kejriwal and his daughter would be killed if the amount was not paid. Singh told authorities about it and demanded action against the person behind the messages and sought adequate security for Kejriwal and his family in view of the threat.
The Mohali Police registered a case under relevant sections of the BNS and IT Act following the complaint. The investigation was initially assigned to Cyber Crime Police Station.
Details related to mobile number used by the person who sent the threat were checked (call records, internet protocol logs etc.) along with location information to figure out who was behind it all.
The allegations got attention because the caller had used Lawrence Bishnoi’s name a jailed gangster whose name crops up in high profile criminal cases.
But just because someone has been linked to a gang does not mean that the gang was involved. Police verification was therefore required so that we could see whether it was real organised crime threat or an individual trying to intimidate and extort money.
Later in the day on November 12 a major development came out. Reports quoting senior Punjab Police sources said that a suspect had been arrested and he was a retired clerk from Rohtak.
The sources said he was not related to Lawrence Bishnoi or his network and the threat was hoax. This changed the picture given in early reports.
The case shows how threatening messages raise concern before the identity of the sender is known. It also shows why digital evidence needs to be traced and claims made by people who use names of organised criminal groups verified.
While the complaint said there was a demand of ₹7 crore and threats against Kejriwal and his daughter, later the police account said that the arrested suspect had no link to Bishnoi gang. The hoax finding is an important distinction: gang involvement cannot be presented as confirmed.
The episode has also focused public attention on the safety of political leaders and their families, cybercrime investigations in dealing with extortion threats.
Police findings are still at the centre of it as investigators go through formal procedures and clarify the case publicly further. Further official details about investigation and any legal proceedings will clarify what action was taken in the case.
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