M A I N   N E W S

New Year gift for Dhoni: Two threat letters
Back-to-back letters warn of harm if Rs 50 lakh not paid; security beefed up

Ranchi, December 31
Team India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s family has received back-to-back extortion letters from suspected local criminals threatening harm if Rs 50 lakh was not paid.

The first letter, written by a person claiming to be a member of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s gang, was received on December 29 and the second this afternoon, family sources said here today. Both the letters were sent by post.

Under armed escort, 27-year-old Dhoni, along with his brother-in-law Gautam Gupta, drove to Jharkhand Armed Police premises and handed over the second letter to Inspector General SN Pradhan. The contents of both the letters were almost similar, the sources said.

Emerging from the hour-long meeting with senior police officers, Dhoni just smiled but did not take any question from waiting reporters. He raised his thumb, indicating that everything was okay before driving back to his residence at Mecon Colony, just a km away. Union Minister Subodh Kant Sahay was also present at the meeting.

Earlier in the day, speaking about the first letter, Pradhan said the police suspected it to be the job of “local criminals”. “The letter originated locally from a colony, which is very much inside Ranchi and not very far from where Dhoni lives,” he said. The letter had warned about harm to the family, in case cops were approached.

Ranchi SSP Sampat Meena said: “We got information yesterday that they (Dhoni’s family) received an extortion letter. It seems to be the handiwork of a local criminal, Taslim, who has been absconding for a long time.”

Meanwhile, the Centre asked Jharkhand government to tighten the Indian cricket captain’s security in the wake of the two letters. — PTI