BSP MLA claims threat to life from Dawood, police launch probe

"On August 6, I got a text message asking me to check my email. I did not take it seriously then and thought I would check it later, as at that time I was in Delhi. Generally I get emails from youngsters who send their biodata to me, so I thought I would check it some time later," MLA Uma Shankar Singh told reporters here today.

Singh is an MLA from Rasra in Ballia district.

He said two days later he got another message from the same number.

"On August 8, I got a message from the same number which read 'last warning, jeena yaa marna Rs 1 crore'," he said.

"On checking the email, I saw the photograph of Dawood Ibrahim. The email also said 'Uma Shankar, you are serving the people of Ballia. If you want to continue this, then give Rs 1 crore, else one bullet is enough for you. And we can kill you at any point of time'," the legislator said.

The BSP MLA said, "When I checked the number on the truecaller (a mobile application to detect the person handling a particular mobile number), it was Dawood Ibrahim text group."

"Singh has lodged a police complaint in this regard and an FIR has been registered against unknown persons under various sections of the IPC and the IT Act for threatening him via text messages and email," said SO Gomtinagar DP Tiwari.