Thane Real Estate Developer Faces Death Threats and ₹10 Crore Extortion Demand
A prominent real estate developer in Thane has allegedly received death threats and an extortion demand of ₹10 crore from individuals claiming to be members of the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang. According to the police complaint filed at the Naupada Police Station, the victim received several threatening calls and messages via WhatsApp while he was away on a pilgrimage.
The businessman, a resident of the Panchpakhadi area, was visiting Satnam Shivrajpur in Madhya Pradesh with his family for Mahashivratri on February 11, 2026. Between 4:10 PM and 4:51 PM, the victim received an international call which he did not answer as he was engaged in religious rituals. Later that evening, at approximately 7:53 PM, he received another call.
The caller identified himself as a member of the 'Bishnoi Group' and demanded a sum of ₹10 crore. The caller warned that if the money was not paid, the businessman would be killed. Furthermore, the suspect threatened that if the matter was reported to the police, the victim would be 'encountered' (killed in a staged shootout).
The harassment continued on February 20, 2026, when the victim received four WhatsApp calls from an international number between 12:20 PM and 12:27 PM. When the businessman refused to answer, the suspects sent a threatening audio clip to his WhatsApp account, reiterating their intent to kill him.
Upon returning to Thane, the developer immediately approached the authorities. The Naupada Police have registered a formal case against the unidentified suspects for extortion and criminal intimidation.
The Thane Police have launched a high-level investigation into the matter. Given the involvement of international numbers and the alleged link to the Bishnoi gang, the Cyber Cell has been brought in to trace the digital footprint of the calls.
'We have registered a case and are currently tracing the international numbers used to send the threats. The investigation is being conducted under the guidance of Senior Police Inspector Abhay Mahajan,' a police official stated.
