A 74-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj has been arrested for allegedly sending a death threat and demanding a ransom of ₹500 crore to a woman judge in Madhya Pradesh in an attempt to frame a rival.
The man was arrested after Judicial Magistrate Mohini Bhadoria, who is posted at the Tyonthar court in Rewa district, received a chilling letter on September 2.
The typed letter, which arrived via registered post, warned her to "pay the money if you want to stay alive" and was signed in the name of "Sandip Singh," who was described as an associate of the notorious Hanuman gang.
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"The sender identified himself as a notorious dacoit and threatened to eliminate her if the money was not paid. Based on a complaint, Suhagi police have registered a case under section 308 (extortion) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita," the SP informed.
The judge immediately alerted authorities to the threat, and Rewa Superintendent of Police Vivek Singh launched an investigation.
{{/usCountry}}The judge immediately alerted authorities to the threat, and Rewa Superintendent of Police Vivek Singh launched an investigation.
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How was the accused found?
Suspicion was initially on the actual Sandip Singh, a man from Prayagraj, and his handwriting samples were taken by the police. But there were discrepancies in the handwriting and local investigation soon doubted his involvement.
The police found a breakthrough when CCTV footage from a Prayagraj post office captured an elderly man mailing the letter. He was later identified as Devraj Singh, a retired local from Rajakothi in Shankargarh town.
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Further investigation revealed that Devraj had a long-standing grudge against Sandip Singh, who had allegedly assaulted him weeks prior.
Frustrated by with what he felt was the failure of the police to act after lodging a complaint, the elderly man took the law into his own hands by trying to frame Sandip for a serious crime.
The police seized the registered post receipt and other key evidence tying Devraj to the letter. He was arrested on Thursday and produced before the Tyonthar court.