Mumbai Mayor gets letter with death threats, security beefed up
Mumbai, Dec 10 (IANS) Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar on Friday received an anonymous letter with death threats in a foul language, a couple of days after she lodged a complaint against a BJP legislator for using offensive words against her.
Pednekar told media persons that the letter in Marathi, threatening to kill her and her family, was received in her mailbox, but it was not sealed and she would lodge a complaint with Byculla police in the matter.
The sender has warned that she would face repercussions if she messed with 'Dada', after which the Mumbai Police have strengthened security around her south Mumbai residence even as several women Shiv Sainiks condemned the targeting of the city's First Citizen.
The Mayor said that the letter was apparently posted in Panvel, Raigad district and asserted that she would not be cowed down by such intimidatory tactics.
Last year in December, she had received death threats on telephone which was received by her aide when she was subjected to abuses and warnings to kill her, and after her complaint, the accused was nabbed from Gujarat in January this year.
This week, Pednekar complained to Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil and Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale and filed the plea with Marine Drive Police Station against BJP legislator and ex-minister Ashish Shelar.
Following her complaint, Shelar - who claimed it was politically motivated and his comments were twisted out of context - was arrested under various charges but later granted bail by the police.