AMRITSAR: Former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Om Parkash Soni living in the plush locality Rani Ka Bagh in Amritsar received whatsapp calls on his personal phones to pay ransom money Rs. 10 lac and Rs. 20 lac in two different calls.
In this regard, Police Station Cantonment Amritsar has registered FIR and begun efforts to trace out the numbers of callers demanding ransom money from Soni.
Confirming the ransom calls from gangsters, family member of Soni said that callers threatened Soni for dire consequences if the matter was reported to police. Caller also threatened to extend harm to his family members. In two different calls, callers described themselves as gangsters demanding ransom of Rs. 10 lac and Rs. 20 lac, said family member. It may be added here that after the arrival of the AAP Government, around fifty percent security was reduced from the total security strength.
After fifty percent reduction in his security, Soni had approached Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging the orders of Punjab Government and the matter is still pending.
Five times MLA in a row, Soni remained cabinet minister in the cabinet of Congress Government led by chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and later he became Deputy CM in the Charanjit Singh Channi’s government. Soni has recently lost elections from the Amritsar Central Constituency where AAP candidate Dr. Ajay Gupta won with heavy margin. It was the first defeat of Soni in his political career. Earlier he had started his career as municipal councilor and Mayor of Amritsar city when Beant Singh was the chief minister of Punjab.
Last month, former SAD MLA from Ajnala constituency Amarpal Singh Bony had also registered a complaint with the police for receiving threatening calls from gangsters demanding ransom from him.