Three jewellers from Kalina who received menacing extortion letters demanding Rs 3 lakh from each of them feel the police are making light of the "threat" to their lives. Virendra Jain from Prakash Jewellers, Mahesh Kothari from Mahesh Jewellers and Vinod Sethiya from Mayur Jewellers have accused the Vakola police of not taking the case seriously. According to their statements, a man with his face covered with a hanky dropped the letters outside their shuttered shops. They stated that a similar letter had been given to Abdullah Khan, 56, who was brutally murdered. A police source said the suspect said in the letters that since Khan (referred to as 'Murgi Vala', a reference to his poultry profession) had failed to pay the extortion amount, he was killed. The letter further read, "I prefer to give everyone a fair chance. Even Khan was given a chance but he refused, so within a week, he was fixed and sent to his destination. Now I am asking for Rs 3 lakh from each one of you and if you don't comply, you will be the next target. After the money is arranged, send an SMS to 9581168367 or else drop the money bag near the banyan tree close to Mumbai University," After receiving the letters, the trio approached the Vakola police and asked them to register an FIR, which has not been lodged so far. The trio then wrote to the assistant police commissioner and senior inspector seeking a "serious" investigation. "Based on CCTV footage, a masked man in his early twenties is seen dropping the letters. We suspect the Abdullah Khan murder is being used to scare the jewellers for extortion. The matter is being investigated and action will be taken," said an officer from Vakola police station.

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