Surat: A local merchant from Surat received a phone call from a purported member of Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang named Sukha Sopu, on late night of March 16. The caller threatened to kill him within 24 hours if the trader didn’t give him Rs 5 lakh.

Ketan Chauhan (age 29), a resident of the Radhakrushna society in Varachha, runs an online textile business in Mota Varracha. He got a WhatsApp call from an unknown number at 11.15 p.m. on March 16. The caller identified himself as Sukha Sopu of the Lawrence Bishnoi Gang. When the merchant asked him about Lawrence Bishnoi, Sopu replied that he is from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, which just murdered Sidhu Moosewala. The person who called allegedly demanded Rs 5 lakh from the merchant and threatened to kill him in 24 hours if the money was not given.

The person cut the call after the merchant said that he doesn’t have Rs 5 lakh. He then received WhatsApp messages from the Sukha Supa group and the Lawrence Bishnoi group. The merchant shared it with his friend Hitesh. Hitesh called the number, and the person identified himself as Sukha Supa from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The merchant filed a complaint at Varachha police station. DeshGujarat