Jaipur
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma received a threat to his life on Friday, the fourth death threat in the past 14 months.
The latest threat came from a prisoner lodged in Bikaner Central Jail, from whom a mobile phone has been recovered.
The accused, identified as Adil, allegedly called the Bikaner Police Control Room at 7.30 a.m., threatening to kill the CM.
Acting swiftly, the police traced the call and conducted a search operation in Bikaner Jail, leading to Adil's arrest at 8.40 a.m.
Bikaner Jail Superintendent Suman Maliwal confirmed the development.
Authorities are now investigating how Adil obtained the mobile phone and his motive behind making the threat, police said.
Preliminary investigations suggest that Adil is a drug addict with an unstable mental condition. He has previously harmed himself by cutting his veins.
Sources indicate that Adil was not getting access to drugs inside the jail and wanted to be transferred to another facility, which may have prompted him to issue the threat.
Further investigations are underway to determine any lapses in security that allowed him access to a mobile phone. This is not the first time CM Sharma has received a threat call from a jail.
On February 21, a prisoner in Dausa Jail, charged under the POCSO Act, made two threatening calls to the Jaipur Police Control Room within 10 minutes between 12.45 a.m. and 12.55 a.m.
Similarly, on July 27, 2024, another call was made from Shyalwas Jail, following which a special team from Jaipur Police conducted a search operation and seized mobile phones from prisoners.
In January 2024, a prisoner in Jaipur Central Jail also threatened to shoot the CM.
The call was immediately disconnected, and the mobile was switched off. However, the police identified the accused through technical surveillance and seized multiple mobile phones from jail inmates.
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Just two days before the latest threat to CM Sharma, Deputy CM Dr. Premchand Bairwa also received a death threat.
On March 26, an anonymous caller contacted the Jaipur Police Control Room. Upon tracing the location, police found that the call originated from Jaipur Central Jail. The recurrence of such threats from within jails raises serious concerns about prison security and the smuggling of mobile devices. Authorities are now intensifying their investigations to prevent further breaches.