NEW DELHI: A businessman’s family in east Delhi was terrified after receiving a picture of their children with a cross mark from an anonymous number on WhatsApp. The family was informed that it had 24 hours to pay Rs 30 lakh to ensure the safety of their two children, reports Rajshekhar Jha. Special CP (crime) Ravindra Yadav said the suspects appeared to be professionals at first as they called and texted the family only on WhatsApp so that their location wouldn’t be traced. When the crime branch eventually tracked down the suspect, it turned out to be the family’s dance teacher, Vishnu Mishra (28).How movie inspired dance teacher’s nefarious designsA businessman’s family in east Delhi was terrified after receiving a picture of their children with a cross mark from an anonymous number on WhatsApp. The crime branch later tracked down the suspect, the family’s dance teacher, Vishnu Mishra (28), and his associate, who were using internet protocol details records analysis.Special CP (crime) Ravindra Yadavsaid that Mishra had been teaching dance to the family for 10 years and decided to target them as he knew the family was wealthy.”The accused, a trained choreographer, has been teaching dance to children and adults in several affluent families in the area. He was in dire need of money after having spent a lot of money in his mother’s treatment and therefore resorted to crime,” Yadav said.The suspect had seen a Bollywood movie, “Mohra”, and got the idea from it to cross the pictures to threaten the family. The accused allegedly conspired to abduct the children if their demands were not met through threats but their plans were thwarted by the crime branch. Mishra lived in Sudarshan Enclave in Noida while his aide, Durga Dutt Singh (27), lived in New Ashok Nagar area.It all started on December 20 when the family received the WhatsApp call. The businessman rejected the call only to receive a “letter” with photographs of both his children. The sender asked to pick up the call and demanded Rs 15 lakh for each of his two children before 11am the next day.On the call, the suspect, posing as a gangster, told the businessman several family details. “Tere dono bachche 24 ghante me maar dunga…koi nahi bacha payega.. (I will kill both your children in 24 hours.. nobody will be able to save them),” read the message. The victim’s wife also blocked the number out of fear. The police was informed and an FIR was registered at Anand Vihar police station.Special CP Yadav formed a special team led by DCP Rohit Meena and ACP Arvind. Two sub-teams under inspector Arun Sindhu and KK Sharma were tasked to work on two different lines.”While one worked on field operations, the other team was deployed for technical support to guide them. Inquiries and raids were conducted in the areas of Gurugram, Ghaziabad, Noida and trans-Yamuna areas of Delhi,” special CP Yadav said. Finally, on the basis of technical surveillance details and door-to-door inquiry, the accused were arrested from their hideouts Dadri and Ashok Nagar.During interrogation, Mishra told cops that he hatched the plot to make money and roped in his friend, Singh, a BPO employee.Trained in voice modulation, Singh was supposed to make the calls as per the script given by Mishra, who also composed and sent the messages. Mishra downloaded the children’s pictures and threatened the family.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/businessman-gets-threat-message-with-cross-mark-on-kids-picture-in-delhi-dance-teacher-held/articleshow/96487836.cms
