2 min readApr 21, 2026 03:03 PM IST
A Maharashtra Regional Transport Office (RTO) officer recently received a threat call in the name of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang while he was visiting Bengaluru, the city police said, adding that an investigation is on to trace the caller.
A First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the Soladevanahalli police station on April 15 based on a complaint filed by Prasad Shivadas Nalavade, an RTO officer from Thane, Maharashtra. A zero FIR was initially lodged in Maharashtra and later transferred to Bengaluru for jurisdictional reasons, officials said.
According to the police, Nalavade had recently taken enforcement action against autorickshaw drivers allegedly operating with fake permits over several years, following directions from senior transport department officials. Officials believe this action may have triggered resentment among certain groups.
On April 12, while Nalavade was in Bengaluru to attend a cricket event organised by an association of motor vehicle department technical officers, he received a phone call that lasted about three minutes. The caller allegedly claimed to be associated with the Bishnoi gang and accused him of harassing poor drivers and protecting agents involved in irregularities.
When the officer asked the caller to come to the office and provide details, the caller allegedly refused and instead issued threats, warning him to increase his security and claiming the issue had escalated to Delhi. The officer subsequently filed a complaint, following which the police registered an FIR and began an investigation.
The police said technical surveillance, call detail record analysis, and digital tracing are being carried out to identify the caller and verify whether the threat is an act of impersonation or linked to organised crime.
