‘RTI activist’ arrested for making 200 blank calls to police control room

“We are investigating to find out if he has made calls to any government officials for extortion. He had sent several WhatsApp messages on the police control room’s number, complaining about people in his area and others,” added the officer

Mumbai: A Mankhurd resident, who claims to be an RTI (Right to Information) activist was arrested for allegedly making 200 blank calls in two days to the Mumbai police control room, purportedly to keep the line busy.

close up employee man hand touching handset of telephone on desk for contact customer or receiving call , hotline concept (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Police have recovered 20 mobile handsets and 25 SIM cards, registered in the names of other people from him.

According to the police, the complainant, Shahrukh Khan, a resident of Govandi alleged in his complaint that the suspect Mohammad Zahid Shaikh and Mohammad Siraj Shabbir Jamadar allegedly took his SIM card by threatening him around six months ago.

Zahid allegedly made several calls to the police control room, complaining about people in his vicinity, but without disclosing his identity. He had allegedly made several calls and also sent threatening messages to people, said a police officer, adding that Jamadar had caught hold of the victim when Zahid snatched the SIM card from him.

In the recent incident, Zahid had allegedly sent an extortion message to a television reporter, demanding ₹5 crore from him. The journalist initially ignored the messages thinking that it might be a prank. But from September 15 to September 20, he received one threat message every day and thereafter, he approached the Worli police and registered a case against the sender of the messages.

Police have found that the threatening messages had been sent using Khan’s SIM card, said assistant police inspector Rakesh Deshmukh.

“During our investigation last week, Zahid made 200 blank calls in two days on the police control room number just to keep the number busy, Deshmukh added.

“We are investigating to find out if he has made calls to any government officials for extortion. He had sent several WhatsApp messages on the police control room’s number, complaining about people in his area and others,” added the officer.

Both the accused have been booked under 392 (robbery), 419 (cheating by personation) and 506 (threatening) of the Indian Penal Code.