Initial probe into the threat messages sent to MlAs through Whatsapps / SMS in recent days has hinted towards the role of ‘professional hackers’ aiming to create panic.
A total of 22 MlAs, most of them from the ruling BJP, received threats on SMS or WhatsApp with each of them being threatened to pay Rs 10 lakh or watch their kin being eliminated.
After the issue hogged the limelight, the UP Police on Wednesday formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) asking its officials to investigate the case. The police had raised apprehension that it could be the handiwork of cronies of don Dawood Ibrahim.
“We are working on the case. It appears to be the handiwork of professional hackers using a proxy server to send the messages. It is a motivated propaganda to create panic,” said Additional DG (law and Order) Anand Kumar on Thursdsay.
“The SIT will certainly crack the case as the probe team has got some leads,” the top cop hoped.
In all messages, the sender identified himself as Ali Budesh Bhai of Dubai, a reference to a gangster once linked to don Dawood Ibrahim, now based in Pakistan.
In fact, 22 MlAs across the state submitted complaints with the police regarding the threat messages. Similar messages were sent to MlAs in Rajasthan, Bhopal and New Delhi.
The SIT was set up after directions from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who took strong note of the threats.
The MlAs who got the messages include Veer Vikram Singh of Meeranpur Katra (Shahjahanpur), Manvendra Singh of Dadraul (Shahjahanpur), Prem Prakash Pandey of Tarabganj (Gonda), Vinay Kumar Dwivedi of Mehnam (Gonda), Vinod Katiyar of Bhognipur (Kanpur), Shahshank Trivedi of Mahauli (Sitapur), Anita Rajput of Debai (Bulandshahr), Dhirendra Bahadur Singh of Sareni (Rae Bareli).
The threats provided the opposition with enough armoury to corner the Yogi government and attack the law and ordr situation.
“No one is secure in the present regime. The MlAs are being threatened of dire consequences. There is no law and order in tehs state,” Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav tweeted.
Congress spokesman Arun Prakash levelled the same charge saying that threat to legislators exposed the tall claims of the BJP government.