Haridwar: A man accused of threatening Roorkee District Jail Superintendent Manoj Kumar Arya in the name of Lawrence Bishnoi has been arrested by the SIDCUL police and Central Investigation Unit (CIU). Police said the accused was angry over questioning by jail staff during a meeting with his wife, who is currently lodged in Roshanabad jail.
According to police, the accused sent abusive and threatening messages to the jail superintendent’s mobile phone and allegedly threatened to kill him. A country-made pistol, one live cartridge and a mobile phone were recovered from his possession, police said. He was produced before a court and sent to jail.
Senior Superintendent of Police Navneet Singh Bhullar disclosed the arrest during a press conference at the police office auditorium on Monday. He said Senior Superintendent of District Jail Roshanabad Manoj Kumar Arya had submitted a complaint on September 11, stating that he had received abusive and threatening messages in the name of Lawrence Bishnoi.
Police registered a case and formed teams from the police and CIU to identify and locate the person behind the messages. On Monday, a team led by SIDCUL Station House Officer Ajay Shah was conducting checking near Suryanagar when it arrested the accused, identified as Himanshu Chodha, a resident of Civil Lines, Bharat Nagar Chowk, Ludhiana, Punjab, who was currently staying in IDPL, Rishikesh.
Police said a country-made pistol and a live cartridge were recovered during a search of the accused. The investigation is continuing to establish the circumstances surrounding the threats.
Police say wife allegedly suggested using Bishnoi’s name
According to the SSP, the accused told police during questioning that his wife, Sheila, is lodged in District Jail Roshanabad. He allegedly became angry after jail staff questioned her extensively during a meeting.
Police said the accused claimed that his wife suggested that he threaten the jail superintendent using Lawrence Bishnoi’s name and provided him with the superintendent’s mobile number. Following this, he allegedly travelled to Ludhiana and used a newly obtained mobile number linked to his Aadhaar details to send threatening messages to the jail superintendent.
Police allege accused came to Haridwar with pistol
The SSP said the accused later learned through social media that a case had been registered against him. Police allege that he subsequently travelled from Ludhiana to Haridwar carrying the pistol and cartridge with the intention of intimidating the jail superintendent.
According to police, he was heading towards the district jail when the checking operation near Suryanagar led to his arrest. Police said further action against his wife Sheila will also be taken on the basis of the evidence gathered during the investigation.
