Stories
7:31 PM
Blackmail
On 9th July 2012 early in the morning I got
the following SMS from +918260165845 :
"WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE, WHERE YOU LIVE AND WHAT YOU
DO. ALL WE WANT YOU GIVE US THE MONEY AND JOIN OUR GANG"
I ignored this SMS thinking it to be a mischief by a rival. Next day I got a call from that
number. The person on the other end was speaking in Hindi. He gave me death threats over the phone. He hurt
my male instinct. I was furious and shouted back at him. I said "I as well got my boys with me. You come
and let’s see what harm you could impose".
The hot conversation followed by yet another SMS :
"THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME. NO ONE WOULD KNOW WHEN I REACH. NOW YOU GO AND INFORM POLICE AND THEY
AS WELL CAN'T HARM US - LAL SALAM"
When I called back he said, “Lal Salam. Tell me how much
you are going to give us". I was speechless. I pleaded I am just a writer. How
could I serve you. He said, then watch us.
I had sympathy for this blackmailer for his
unprofessional approach. Because he asked, how much I am going to pay. As an
insurance agent of LIC I always tend to do my homework before approaching a
potential customer. I judge the monetary value of a customer before quoting my
insurance premium. But this blackmailer unable to judge what I am worth.
Very next day he sent yet another SMS saying :
"YOU ARE LEFT WITH FIVE DAYS. SEARCH WHO WILL
SAFEGUARD YOU – LAL SALAM"
Now I guessed something fishy. I was restless and showed this SMS to my Dad at noon hours when
he returned from the clinic. He was furious. He asked me, do you know who this LAL SALAM
is. I told by name he seems to be a Muslim. He said you stupid, the slogan of Maoists
is Lal Salam. Though very brave, on hearing our conversation my Mother started worrying.
She said, she can’t lose her son all again for the second time.
My Father issued the summon for me. He asked me to go
underground and not to step outside the home for couple of weeks. He asked me to lodge the FIR.
I went to Barpali police station to lodge the FIR. The Officer in Charge [OIC]
Inspector Meher immediately called the number from which I was getting the
threats. But it was switched off. He called the District Superintendent of
Police [SP] at Bargarh to intimate the gravity of the situation. The SP was a
lady and she collected the phone number from which I was getting the calls.
As such I am a person having no friends in life. To ease
my heart, I expressed my anguish to
Bablu Tripathy our youth leader of Congress. Immediately he got into action to
safeguard his Kiran Da. He courted the premises of the police station for two
days. By next evening the police traced the owner of the phone number to be someone by
the name of Rudra Dash of Balangir. But no one by that name exist at Balangir.
The SIM was issued with a fake ID proof. More to it the calls have been
transmitted from the Reliance Tower of Nand Lal Sahu’s building. The OIC acquired
the summary of all the phone numbers with whom this culprit was speaking to.
All those persons confessed that even they are as well getting the life threats
for a ransom. Than OIC had a sigh of relief that it is not Maoists but some anti
socials to extort the money. Off late the goons of UP and Bihar made Jharsuguda
and the surrounding area as their base camp ever since the rampant
industrialisation drive by the Government of Odisha.
I walked back to home in the deserted road fearlessly all
alone from Police Station around at 10.30 PM in the late night as if I am the
King and Barpali is my Kingdom. And this writer is unhurt and alive even if one
year has been past ever since the happening of these bizarre incidents. How
ridiculous, 15 years back when I was sick and jobless the loved one ill treated
me, but now when I am sound and successful the world has got an evil eye upon
me.
WhatsApp# +918249314972
E.Kiran Mohan(The Blogger)
C/o.Dr.E.R.Rao (MD)
Tehsil Chowk,
At/PO. BARPALI – 768029
Dist. Bargarh, Odisha, India