Income Tax Official Probing Asaram, Son Gets Threat Call

A Surat-based Income Tax official and his mother were allegedly threatened over the phone by a suspected supporter of jailed godman Asaram Bapu's son Narayan Sai for probing them in a case related to disproportionate assets, police said today.

In his complaint to the Umara police station in Surat on Saturday, Income Tax Inspector Prem Pulninath, a resident of the Income Tax Colony alleged that a person called Bavaji had called him up on the land line number at his mother's residence in Ahmedabad on Friday, police sources said.

After his mother picked up the phone, the caller allegedly threatened her that he would kill her son if he comes in their way, Umara police sub-inspector SM Soni said.

"The caller, who identified himself as Bavaji, asked Nath's mother to pass on the message to her son. He also asked her to make his son understand the consequences of initiating the probe. After this short warning, he hung up. Based on the mobile number of the caller, we have begun a probe," Mr Soni said.

After learning about the threat call to him and his mother, Mr Nath lodged an FIR on Saturday, Mr Soni said.

"Nath is one of those Income Tax officers who is probing a disproportionate wealth case against Sai and Asaram. The caller was angry at the officer for the probe and threatened him of dire consequences if he went ahead with the case against Sai," Surat City Commissioner of Police Rakesh Asthana said.