Bhubaneswar, Aug. 8: Senior BJP leader and former minister K.V. Singhdeo has received threat calls purportedly from a Maoist leader asking him to send them rice and money.

This was for the first time that a political leader in the state had received threat calls from the Maoists.

Earlier, the rebels had sent threat letters to local police officers, panchayat officials and others to quit their job. They had also threatened local villagers not to help the police.

Singhdeo said he had received two calls on his cellphone and the caller had threatened him of dire consequences if he did not obey their diktat. “On July 30, when I was in Jaipur in Rajasthan, someone called me on my cellphone and said ‘Lal Salaam’. I responded him with ‘Jai Sriram’.

“The caller then identified himself as Pratap Reddy, area commander of Communist Party of India (Maoist), Andhra Pradesh. He insisted that I say ‘Lal Salaam’,” said Singhdeo.

“Stating that he is calling from Sanbanjipalli, the caller asked me to immediately send rice, other food materials and money. But I refused to help those working against national interest and disconnected the phone,” he said.

“He, however, called me up again and threatened me of dire consequences if I don’t obey his diktat.”

Singhdeo then informed Patnagarh’s sub-divisional police officer about the threat call. He also handed over the cellphone number from which the calls were received.

Patnagarh sub-divisional police officer Laxmi Narayan Panda said he had received a verbal complaint from Singhdeo. “We are probing into it,” he said.

Balangir SP Avinash Kumar said Singhdeo had handed over a cellphone number to the Patnagarh sub-divisional police officer.

“We found the said phone switched off and no phone calls were made from the number after the sender called Singhdeo. We are trying to ascertain the location and identity of the caller,” he said.