Lucknow, February 8 A man was arrested here on Sunday for allegedly sending an extortion letter to his former employer in the name of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, demanding Rs 30 lakh from him, police said.
The accused, identified as Umesh Kumar Yadav (38), had planned the extortion after watching films and web series, they said.
Yadav was arrested along with a scooter allegedly used in the crime. The police have also recovered a helmet and a shawl used by the accused to conceal his face while delivering the letter.
Businessman Gaurav Batra, a resident of Rohit Residency, Vaikalp Khand, lodged a complaint on January 30 stating that a security guard at his medicine warehouse, located in Hindnagar area of Transport Nagar, received a sealed envelope addressed to him.
According to the complaint, the letter demanded Rs 30 lakh within 15 days, failing which threats were issued to kill the businessman and his employees one by one, the police said in a statement.
The letter bore the words "Bishnoi Gang UP East" at the bottom, prompting the police to register a case at Sarojininagar police station.
Four police teams were formed and extensive investigation was carried out. The police scanned footage from nearly 100 CCTV cameras installed near the crime scene, which eventually led to the identification of the accused, the statement said.
The accused was arrested from Rahimabad Road around 12.20 pm, the police said.
During interrogation, Yadav confessed that he was previously employed at the same medicine warehouse but had quit in August 2025. He also told the police that he had taken a loan of Rs 7 lakh from a bank and was facing financial difficulties due to unpaid instalments.
The accused told the police that he planned the extortion after watching films and web series, and wrote the threat letter himself. Disguising his identity with a helmet and shawl, he delivered the envelope to the warehouse guard and fled, the police added.