Rajasthan CM, IAS officer receive death threats, security stepped up
Jaipur, A high-level security alert was triggered in Rajasthan after an e-mail on Thursday threatened to harm the lives of Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and senior IAS officer Neeraj K Pawan.
The e-mail, sent from an account under the name Divij Prabhakara, contained threats to kill and dismember both the chief minister and the IAS officer, and claimed that explosives would be planted in cricket stadiums to draw public attention to some alleged personal grievances.
Police said the e-mail was received by multiple recipients, including an official ID linked to the Chief Minister's Office and a private individual.
The e-mail, sent as a purported attempt to expose alleged wrongdoing by some individuals, included allegations of rape and dowry harassment against the said perpetrators and furnished their detailed personal information.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Kunwar Rashtradeep said, "Cybercrime experts and intelligence teams have been tasked with tracing the origin of the e-mail and assessing the credibility of the threats. Security arrangements have been strengthened at key government installations and stadiums."
The sender of the e-mail also claimed that should they be caught, they would evade legal action by pleading mental instability and that a medical certificate in this regard has already been acquired. Officials said this aspect is being probed.
Authorities said they have not confirmed the allegations in the e-mail.
Police said the message appeared to make unverified personal claims, and they are treating it as both a potential threat and a hoax.
The e-mail also referred to personal details such as Aadhaar-based hotel check-ins and phone numbers of the individuals it accused of wrongdoing. Officials are working to verify the identities of these individuals and their possible connection to the sender.
Security has been enhanced around cricket venues in Jaipur and key government offices as a precaution.
Further updates are expected after forensic analysis of the e-mail and digital tracking is completed, police said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
29 minutes ago
- Indian Express
New CCTV footage emerges of Indore honeymooners in Meghalaya, CM seeks CBI probe
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to initiate a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the murder of an Indore-based newly-wed man Raja Raghuvanshi in Meghalaya, saying that 'every possible effort' was made to trace his missing wife Sonam. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav wrote in his X account: 'In this hour of crisis, Madhya Pradesh stands with Mrs. Sonam Raghuvanshi and her family. I have discussed this matter with the Chief Minister of Meghalaya. Senior police officers from Madhya Pradesh are in constant contact with Meghalaya officials. I have requested the Honorable Union Home Minister, Shri @AmitShah ji, to order a CBI investigation in this case. Every possible effort is being made for the safe return of Mrs. Sonam Raghuvanshi.' The mystery of what happened to the newlywed couple Raja Raghuvanshi and Sonam Raghuvanshi from Madhya Pradesh's Indore who had travelled to Meghalaya for their honeymoon on May 20 — nine days after their wedding — continues to confound investigators. The couple had checked out of the Shillong hotel on May 23 and travelled to an area near Cherrapunji. They last talked to their family that afternoon. Raja's body was found with wounds inflicted by a Dao (machete) while Sonam has yet to be found. A Special Investigation Team was formed to look into the incident, although police have yet to make any arrests. The search operation for Sonam has also run into difficulties posed by tough terrain, dense forests and unrelenting rains, which have resulted in the rescue teams managing to work for a few hours before calling it a day. A new CCTV footage released Saturday shows Raja and Sonam arriving at a homestay in Shillong on a scooter to drop off their luggage before riding off again. The video, which is four minutes long, shows Raja and Sonam arriving at the homestay with a white suitcase and wearing black jackets. The video shows the couple interacting with each other before Raja goes inside to talk to the staff at the registration desk. Sonam is seen taking off her jacket and fixing her hair. Moments later, Raja comes out, takes a few things out of the suitcase, and hands them over to Sonam. The white shirt Sonam is seen wearing in the CCTV footage was later found near Raja's body. Meanwhile, as Sonam's brother Gaurav waits anxiously for news of his sister, he says he's 'relieved' at the MP government decision to seek a CBI probe. Gaurav has been in Shillong for the last few days as the police continue to look for his sister. 'I have been with the police and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for days now and there is no headway in the case. Even the new CCTV footage we had traced and leaked to the media. The police are not able to crack the case,' Gaurav told The Indian Express. East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem did not respond to calls or messages.
Hindustan Times
36 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Mithi River desilting fraud: ED summons a dozen people, including Dino Morea
MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned at least a dozen people, including actor Dino Morea, officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), civic contractors and intermediaries, for questioning related to its money laundering investigation into the execution of contracts for desilting the Mithi River. All the summoned people have been asked to appear for questioning at the agency's Mumbai office next week, said an official aware of developments. The people summoned included those named and questioned previously by the Mumbai police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW), which had registered an FIR in connection with the alleged fraud last month. According to the EOW, irregularities in executing desilting work contracts for the Mithi River have resulted in a loss of ₹65.54 crore for the BMC and, in turn, the public exchequer. The development comes a day after ED carried out searches at 18 locations across Mumbai, Kochi and Thrissur in connection with the investigation. The search operation covered the residential/office premises of Morea and his brother Santino Morea, BMC engineer Prashant Ramgude, civic contractor Bhupendra Purohit, intermediaries Jay Joshi and Ketan Kadam, and Matprop Technical Services Pvt Ltd, a Kochi-based company that rented machinery and equipment for the desilting work. According to an ED press release issued on Saturday, the evidence collected during the investigation and search operation prima facie indicates that Ramgude, Purohit, Joshi, Kadam, officials of Matprop, and others 'colluded to form a cartel with the intent to manipulate BMC tenders' related to the desilting of Mithi River. 'This action effectively conferred a monopoly in the award of desilting contracts of Mithi River and caused payments at inflated rates for desilting works, resulting in undue gains to the contractors and associated parties, thereby causing financial loss to the public exchequer. These undue financial gains have been concealed by layering them through certain shell companies/firms, which were formed by collusion amongst Ketan Kadam, Bhupendra Purohit, Prashant Ramgude and other private individuals,' the release said. During Friday's search operation, the ED seized ₹7 Lakh in cash, and froze 22 bank accounts/fixed deposits and one demat account. The total amount seized or frozen is more than ₹1.25 crore so far, the ED said. The agency has also seized digital devices and incriminating documents during the searches. The ED's investigation is based on the EOW's FIR, in which 13 people and entities were booked, including Joshi, Kadam, and three BMC officials. Joshi, the director of industrial product manufacturer Virgo Specialties Pvt Ltd, and Kadam, the controller of desilting services company Woder India LLP, were later arrested. A sessions court granted Joshi bail on June 5. According to the ED, Dino and Santino Morea are 'close associates' of Kadam. The EOW had interrogated the two brothers last week after finding financial transactions between them and Kadam's family. The police suspect that the transactions, which took place during the period of the alleged fraud—from 2019 to 2022—could be linked to the desilting contracts. Santino Morea and Kadam's wife, Punita, are also directors of a Mumbai-based company, UBO Ridez Private Limited, which operates Victoria-style electric carriages, according to the EOW. As per the EOW's investigation, the three BMC officials booked in the case allegedly tailored the tender for the desilting contracts to benefit Matprop, resulting in the company's monopoly over the contracts. When the BMC's contractors approached Matprop for desilting equipment, they were directed to approach Joshi and Kadam, who, in connivance with the company, allegedly rented the machines at inflated rates. Matprop's director, Dipak Mohan, who was also booked in the case, has denied that he or his company were involved in the fraud. The accused also allegedly fudged records to increase the amount of silt to be removed from the Mithi River to benefit the contractors and the rates that they were supposed to be paid, according to the EOW.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Espionage case: Punjab YouTuber Jasbir's police remand extended by 2 days
A Mohali court on Saturday extended for two days the police remand of Punjab-based YouTuber Jasbir Singh, who was arrested on espionage charges on June 4. Jasbir Singh, 41, was produced in the court after his three-day police remand ended on Saturday. Police sought a seven-day remand, but the court granted them two days, his counsel said. Jasbir Singh was in touch with influencer Jyoti Malhotra, who is in custody on charges of spying for Pakistan, and after his arrest, the police had said that it had unearthed a terror-backed espionage network linking him to Pakistani intelligence and army officials. 'Haryana Police had summoned Jasbir Singh on June 6 in the Jyoti Malhotra espionage case but before he could join the investigation, he was arrested by Punjab Police', Jasbir Singh's counsel Mohit Dhupar claimed on Saturday. He also denied the charge that Singh was an agent of Pakistan's spy agency ISI. Jasbir alias Jaan Mahal, a resident of Mahlan village in Rupnagar district, was running a YouTube channel 'JaanMahal Video' with over 11 lakh subscribers, ostensibly posting travel and cooking vlogs. After Singh's arrest, Punjab police had claimed that it unearthed a 'terror-backed espionage network' linking him to Pakistani intelligence and army officials. Police had said that the YouTuber was allegedly spying for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Dhupar said he met him in the court on Saturday. 'We spoke to him. There is no such thing that is being said in the media that he was an ISI agent,' said Dhupar, claiming he was just a vlogger. Dhupar said Singh was summoned by Punjab Police from May 17 till May 30. He had already given his mobile phone and laptop to the police, said the counsel. Dhupar said on June 2, Hisar police summoned Singh to join the investigation in the Jyoti Malhotra case on June 6. When Punjab Police came to know about him being summoned by the Haryana police, Singh was asked to appear on June 3 and he was arrested on June 4, said the counsel. Hisar native Malhotra (33) who was running a YouTube channel 'Travel with JO' was arrested last month. On May 13, India expelled Danish, who was posted at the Pakistan High Commission, for allegedly indulging in espionage. Jasbir was allegedly found to be associated with a Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO). He was in contact with a Pakistan high commission official who was recently expelled from New Delhi on charges of spying and had met Pakistan Army officials during one of his three visits to the neighbouring country, police had earlier said. He was allegedly in close contact with Jyoti Malhotra and was also associated with PIO Shakir alias Jutt Randhawa, cops said. The accused had also travelled to Pakistan on three occasions including in 2020, 2021 and 2024, and came into direct contact with ISI officers, who subsequently cultivated and recruited him to carry out espionage activities within India, police had said. Investigations revealed that Singh attended the Pakistan National Day event in Delhi on Danish's invitation, where he met Pakistani Army officials and vloggers. After Jyoti Malhotra's arrest, accused Singh had attempted to erase all traces of his communications with these PIOs to avoid detection, police had said.
