Bengaluru: A garbage contractor in Bengaluru has approached the police alleging that a jailed gangster threatened him and demanded that he surrender a civic waste-management contract awarded to him in the Padmanabhanagar region.
Contractor alleges threats from Belagavi prison
Contractor Imran Anjum, 36, filed a complaint with the Banashankari police on August 10, alleging that Grace Walter Joseph, a member of the Wilson Garden Naga gang, threatened him over the contract.
Joseph is currently lodged at Hindalga prison in Belagavi in connection with a 2023 murder case, according to the complaint.
Anjum alleged that he received a call on June 2 from a number linked to Joseph’s Instagram account. The caller reportedly claimed to be speaking from Hindalga prison and initially demanded a monthly payment of Rs 30,000.
Associate allegedly named in demand
According to Anjum’s complaint, the caller allegedly instructed him to make the monthly payment to an associate in Bengaluru identified as Prajwal.
The contractor alleged that the threats were linked to the garbage contract he had secured for the Padmanabhanagar area and that he was being pressured to give it up.
The complaint has brought attention to concerns over alleged criminal interference in Bengaluru’s civic contracting system, particularly the management of municipal waste.
Police complaint under investigation
The Banashankari police have received the complaint and are looking into the allegations. The available details do not establish whether the alleged caller was Joseph himself or another person using a number linked to his social media account.
Further investigation is expected to establish the identity of the caller, verify the alleged demands and determine whether the jailed accused or others were involved.
The case also raises concerns about the security of contractors involved in essential civic services and the need to ensure that public contracts are not influenced through intimidation.