Bhubaneswar: The threat letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik demanding a ransom of Rs 50 crore, which Odisha Police had received August 25, was sent by an inmate of Bilaspur district jail in neighbouring Chhattisgarh.
As reported, Bilaspur Superintendent of Police Arif Sheikh identified the prisoner as Pushpendra Nath Chouhan (40).
Chouhan, who hails from Janjgir-Champa district in Chhattisgarh, had been serving jail term in dacoity and murder cases since 2009, he said.
Sheikh said he was identified and interrogated after Odisha police informed about the letter received by post to its Bilaspur counterparts Sunday.
“Odisha Additional Director General (Intelligence) Sunl Ray in a letter informed Bilaspur police about the threat letter written to the Odisha Chief Minister. Bilaspur Additional Superintendent of Police Neeraj Chandrakar interrogated Chouhan Monday. He confessed to have written the letter to garner public attention,” he said.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Chouhan was mentally unstable, Sheikh said.
“A detailed investigation will be conducted and a report sent to the Odisha Police, which will take further action in the matter,” he added.
Additional SP Chandrakar said Chouhan had sent a similar communication to a district collector of Odisha in the past.
Chhattisgarh Director General (Jail) Girdhari Nayak Monday visited Bilaspur Jail and directed the authorities to probe the matter.