UP SDM gets Rs 15L ransom msg, death threat

BIJNOR: Dhampur sub-divisional magistrate Ritu Rani received a text message in which the sender demanded a ransom of Rs 15 lakh and threatened to kill her if she failed to pay up. The SDM's security has been tightened following the threat.

The sender also said the SDM would meet the same fate as that of National Investigation Agency (NIA) DSP Tanzeel Ahmed, who was shot dead by two bike-borne assailants while his two minor children watched in horror in April 2016.

According to circle officer Abhay Kumar Pandey, a case has been registered against unidentified persons based on a complaint filed by the SDM. "A joint team of Dhampur police and surveillance crew is investigating the matter," he added.

SDM Ritu Rani confirmed the incident and said, "On July 24 around 2:50 pm, I received a threat message on my closed user group (CUG) mobile number. The sender demanded a ransom of Rs 15 lakh, and warned of dire consequences if I failed to pay up. The sender also cited the DSP Tanzeel Ahmed murder case . Pressure was also put on me to make payment through a barcode. Multiple barcodes and mobile numbers were also shared for transferring money."

Notably, Tanzil Ahmad, who was probing terror cases related to the Indian Mujahideen, was returning home to Delhi on the night of April 2, 2016, when two bike-borne men stopped his car and shot him dead while his two children watched. His neighbours, Muneer and Mohd Raiyyan, were arrested later and were awarded death sentences by a court. Muneer died of a kidney infection in Sonbhadra jail three years ago.