Pune: A member of the Bishnoi gang allegedly threatened a garment shopowner from Uttamnagar, near Khadakwasla, and demanded Rs 2 crore on Saturday morning, police said.The shopowner also runs a construction company with an office in Narhe. Following the threat call, police deployed security at the garment shop, the construction company’s office and the businessperson’s residence in Uttamnagar.The 47-year-old shopowner lodged a complaint with the police on Saturday evening, stating that he received a call through an internet-based calling service at around 11.15am.“The caller identified himself as Shubham Lonkar. Lonkar has been absconding since his name surfaced in the murder case of former Bandra MLA Baba Siddique, while his brother, Pravin, has been arrested,” senior inspector Raghvendra Kshirsagar of the Uttamnagar police said.“We have registered a case. Crime branch officials are probing the matter,” he added.According to the complaint, the caller, speaking in Marathi, told the shopowner that he knew he was an office-bearer of the Uttamnagar-Shivane Merchants’ Association. He also claimed to be aware of the complainant’s construction business.“The caller then mentioned the registration number of the complainant’s car and claimed to know his daily movements in detail. He allegedly threatened the complainant with dire consequences, saying he knew the members of his family and advising him to maintain his safety,” an officer from Uttamnagar police said.“The caller then instructed the garment shopowner to keep Rs 2 crore ready and await further instructions for making the payment. Instead, the complainant approached the police and lodged a complaint,” he added.This is the third incident in the past week in which alleged members of the Bishnoi gang have contacted businessmen in the city and demanded extortion money. On June 22, gang members allegedly called the owner of a steel manufacturing unit in Wanowrie and demanded Rs 50 crore. They later fired four bullets at the unit in Mantarwadi. The following day, another alleged gang member called a pharmacy wholesaler from Wadki and demanded Rs 2 crore. On Thursday, a woman from Ravet lodged a complaint with the Pimpri Chinchwad police, alleging that a caller identifying himself as Aarzoo Bishnoi demanded Rs 5 crore. The caller had also threatened her husband, who is based in Dubai, and demanded the same amount.
