Police probe SMS threat to Tharoor, no headway (Second Lead)

NEW DELHI - A police team Wednesday visited Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor’s residence here to probe an SMS threat he had received. No arrests have been made in the case, police said.

The police had earlier said that a man had been detained on the suspicion of sending the SMS threat to Tharoor but officials later clarified that he was held for sending a “filthy” message to Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Brinda Karat.

“Manik Verma was detained in connection with a filthy and obscene message to Brinda Karat. His identity was used in procuring the mobile connection from which the message was sent. We are verifying whether he was involved or his identity was fraudulently used,” a police officer said.

He said that the confusion arose because it was similar to the case involving Tharoor.

Earlier in the day, officials from the Tughlak Road police station went to the minister’s Lodhi Estate residence and spent about an hour there.

“We (came) to inquire SMS threats to the minister after seeing reports in the media. We were not called by the minister,” a team member told reporters.

Officials said no case had been registered. A Delhi Police spokesman, however, denied knowledge of any such development.

Jacob Joseph, officer on special duty with the minister, told reporters that Tharoor had received the SMS threat and the home ministry and police had been alerted.

He did not reveal the SMS contents.

Tharoor is caught in a row with Indian Premier League (IPL) chief Lalit Modi after the latter accused him of telling him not to reveal the ownership pattern of the IPL Kochi franchise. Tharoor has denied the charge.