A gold jeweller with a shop in Burrabazar has alleged that he got a letter directing him to submit ₹50 lakh to the cause of the Maoists.
The businessman (name being withheld) told police he was scared after receiving the letter and wanted a thorough investigation into the matter.
Officers said this is the first time in close to a decade that a city trader has complained about receiving a threat letter from Maoists demanding a contribution to their funds.
The letter, signed by one Samir Mondal, says the money was needed for “our Maoist fund”.
“The letter directs the businessman to submit ₹50 lakh to Gupi Kanta Banerjee alias Mukul. It is written in Bengali and a few words, including the name of Samir Mondal, are in bold,” said a senior police officer.
“The letter was sent by post, and the businessman received it on May 31. He got in touch with the police the same day, and a probe was started based on his complaint,” the officer said.
Sources said the letter has Gupi Kanta’s surname as Bagchi. But the surname has been penned through, and “Banerjee” has been written over it by hand. It says Gupi Kanta is a resident of Hadipur colony, under the jurisdiction of Deganga police station in North 24-Parganas.
It says “Gupi Dada” is a respected member of the organisation, and the businessman should reach out to him with the said amount. The words “ponchash lokkho taka (₹50 lakh) are in bold.
“The letter ends with a note of warning. It says there will be no escape if the businessman goes to the police. The Bengal police, the letter states, lack courage and can inflict no harm on them,” the officer said.
The letter has the sender’s name, Samir Mondal, and is dated May 24, the officer said.
The businessman, who has a shop on the fourth floor of a market on Old China Bazar in Burrabazar, has told the police that he also owns a shopin Bongaon, around 53km from Deganga in North 24-Parganas.
The revelation about the threat letter came on Saturday, two days after security forces gunned down Sudhakar alias Tentu Lakshmi Narshiha Chalam, an ideological chief of the Maoists in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, during an exchange of fire.
Senior officers said letters from Maoists demanding money was common in Bengal’s Jungle Mahal during the height of the Maoist movement in Bengal but such letters usually bore the name of the outfit.
“There is no mention of any outfit or wing that is believed to be close to the Maoists in Bengal. That is somewhat unusual,” the officer said.
“We are probing all angles, including whether it is from a rival businessman,” the officer said.