A high-profile extortion threat targeting Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, along with his daughter Harshita Kejriwal, has triggered an urgent cybercrime investigation by the Punjab Police. The matter came to light on Thursday, November 12, 2026, after Tilak Nagar AAP MLA Jarnail Singh lodged a formal complaint with the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Mohali. According to the complaint, an unidentified caller claiming to be an operative of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s syndicate contacted Singh through voice calls and WhatsApp messages, demanding ₹7 crore in extortion money. The sender allegedly warned that both Arvind Kejriwal and his daughter would be killed if the ransom demand was not fulfilled. Following the complaint, Mohali Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act, assigning the technical probe to Cyber Crime Police Station Inspector Sunil Kumar. However, preliminary findings from senior Punjab Police officials suggest the threat may be the work of a local impostor rather than an authentic gangster network.

How the Extortion Call and WhatsApp Messages Reached AAP MLA Jarnail Singh

As detailed in police filings in Mohali, the threatening communications were initially received on November 6, 2026, on the mobile phone of Tilak Nagar legislator Jarnail Singh. The caller allegedly introduced himself as a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang with overseas connections, using both a voice call and written WhatsApp messages from the same mobile number to convey the ₹7 crore demand. Recognising the gravity of a threat directed at the AAP supremo and his family, Singh formally approached the Mohali SSP seeking immediate police action against the sender as well as enhanced security arrangements for Kejriwal and his household. Because Arvind Kejriwal enjoys Z-plus security cover and frequently travels between New Delhi and Punjab—where the Aam Aadmi Party is in power—security agencies across Chandigarh and the national capital treated the complaint with immediate operational urgency.

Cyber Police Probe and Hoax Angle Flagged by Punjab Police Sources

Soon after registering the FIR, Mohali Police initiated a technical trace examining call detail records (CDRs), internet protocol (IP) logs, and real-time tower location data linked to the mobile number used to message Jarnail Singh. While formal digital forensics remain underway, senior Punjab Police sources indicated on Thursday afternoon that investigators had tracked down a suspect and found no operational link between the caller and the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Officials noted that the threat appeared to be a hoax carried out by an individual attempting to exploit the notoriety of the Bishnoi syndicate for quick extortion. This is not the first time Arvind Kejriwal has faced such threats; back in 2019, during his tenure as Delhi Chief Minister, his official office had received threatening emails targeting his life, prompting a separate Delhi Police investigation.

Who Is Harshita Kejriwal and Why Her Name in the Threat Drew Attention

The inclusion of Arvind Kejriwal’s daughter, Harshita Kejriwal, in the extortion warning drew widespread public concern across New Delhi, Chandigarh, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, Harshita is a corporate professional and startup co-founder who has consistently maintained a low public profile away from active electoral politics. Although political speculation occasionally surfaced in 2024 about whether she might step into public life, Arvind Kejriwal had firmly dismissed those rumours, stating that his family members remained focused on their independent careers.

Wider Crackdown on Gangster Networks Across Punjab

The Mohali FIR unfolds against the backdrop of an intensified statewide offensive by Punjab Police against organised crime and extortion rackets. In a coordinated sweep conducted alongside the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), police teams recently carried out 406 targeted raids across Punjab, arresting 87 individuals and apprehending two proclaimed offenders. Security officials in Chandigarh and New Delhi emphasize that impersonating high-profile syndicates to issue ransom calls via encrypted messaging apps has become a recurring modus operandi, warning that strict criminal prosecution awaits anyone attempting to misuse gangster names to intimidate public representatives or citizens.