Aam Aadmi Party MLA Ajay Dutt received extortion calls and death threats on his phone days after its Burari legislator Sanjeev Jha got similar calls, the party said, on Saturday, and demanded swift action by the Delhi Police.
Aam Aadmi Party officials have said that another party MLA has received extortion calls and death threats days after party legislator, Sanjeev Jha received similar calls of harassment and threat.
Aam Aadmi Party MLA Ajay Dutt received extortion calls and death threats on his phone days after its Burari legislator Sanjeev Jha got similar calls, the party said, on Saturday, and demanded swift action by the Delhi Police.
Addressing a joint press conference with the two MLAs, AAP national spokesperson Sanjay Singh said law and order has "completely collapsed" in Delhi and sought Union Home Minister Amit Shah's intervention for the protection of the common citizens. Calls to both Dutt and Jha were made by the same person, the Rajya Sabha MP claimed.
"After our MLA Sanjeev Jha received a threat call on June 20, we lodged an FIR on June 21 and the case was handed over to the Delhi Police's Special Cell. Despite this, Jha has received as many as 24 extortion calls so far. Now, MLA Ajay Dutt has received extortion calls and death threats. Look at the audacity of the mafia," Singh said. "This is the situation in Delhi. Law and order have completely collapsed in the national capital," he charged.
At the press conference, Singh also played an audio recording of the extortion call received by Jha on June 22 in which the caller is heard demanding Rs 10 lakh from the MLA. The caller, who identified himself as Vicky Cobra, an associate of gangster Neeraj Bawana, also threatened to kill Jha and all his family members in case he refuses to pay them protection money. Bawana is currently cooling his heels in Delhi's Tihar jail.
"While speaking to Sanjeev Jha, the caller identified himself as Vicky Cobra. He identified himself as Vicky Brar during his call to demand protection money from Ajay Dutt. Both of the threat calls have been made by the same person," Singh said. Slamming the Centre over the issue, he asked what will happen to the common citizens when the MLAs are not safe in Delhi. He demanded that the Delhi Police take swift action to trace and nab the culprit.
Singh said separate FIRs have been lodged in connection with the threat calls received by Dutt and Jha but the police are yet to make any breakthrough. "After lodging, a complaint regarding the threat calls received by Jha, we had met the Delhi Police commissioner. We will meet him once again to demand speedy action in Ajay Dutt's case as well," he added.
Addressing the press conference, Dutt said he received the call on June 22. "Calling me on WhatsApp, (the caller) demanded that I pay Rs 5 lakh as protection money else he would shoot me dead. He later also sent me a video showing how bullets will be loaded in the pistol to kill me," the Ambedkar Nagar MLA said. "I am not scared. All I want is that law and order are restored in the city and protection be provided to the common citizens from criminals," he added.
No action is being taken by the police when public representatives are receiving such threat calls. One can imagine what happens with the common citizens in the city, he added. Jha also put up a brave face and said he is not scared.