AAP says another MLA received death threat, demands swift action by cops

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party MLA Ajay Dutt received extortion calls and death threats on his phone days after its Burari legislator Sanjeev Jha got similar calls, the party said on Saturday and demanded swift action by the Delhi Police.

Addressing a joint press conference with the two MLAs, AAP national spokesperson Sanjay Singh said law and order has "completely collapsed" in Delhi and sought Union Home Minister Amit Shah's intervention for the protection of the common citizens.

Calls to both Dutt and Jha were made by the same person, the Rajya Sabha MP claimed.

"After our MLA Sanjeev Jha received a threat call on June 20, we lodged an FIR on June 21 and the case was handed over to the Delhi Police's Special Cell. Despite this, Jha has received as many as 24 extortion calls so far. Now, MLA Ajay Dutt has received extortion calls and death threats. Look at the audacity of the mafia," Singh said.

"This is the situation in Delhi. Law and order has completely collapsed in the national capital," he charged.

At the press conference, Singh also played an audio recording of the extortion call received by Jha on June 22 in which the caller is heard demanding Rs 10 lakh from the MLA. The caller, who identified himself as Vicky Cobra, an associate of gangster Neeraj Bawana, also threatened to kill Jha and all his family members in case he refuses to pay the protection money.

Bawana is currently cooling his heels in Delhi's Tihar jail.

"While speaking to Sanjeev Jha, the caller identified himself as Vicky Cobra. He identified himself as Vicky Brar during his call to demand protection money from Ajay Dutt. Both of the threat calls have been made by the same person," Singh said.

Slamming the Centre over the issue, he asked what will happen to the common citizens when the MLAs are not safe in Delhi. He demanded that the Delhi Police take swift action to trace and nab the culprit.

Singh said separate FIRs have been lodged in connection with the threat calls received by Dutt and Jha but the police are yet to make any breakthrough.

"After lodging a complaint regarding the threat calls received by Jha, we had met the Delhi Police commissioner. We will meet him once again to demand speedy action in Ajay Dutt's case as well," he added.

The AAP leader sought Shah's intervention for the restoration of law and order in Delhi and the protection of the common citizens.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police spokesperson said, "A complaint was received from Ambedkar Nagar MLA Ajay Dutt, who allegedly received extortion threats from an international number. A case under sections of extortion and IT Act, at the Special Cell police station, on June 25 has been registered."

Police claimed that Arvind Kejriwal's AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha received extortion calls from the same international number. They further informed that an investigation is going on to identify the culprits.