A petition filed by Meham’s former MLA and businessman Balraj Kundu seeking enhanced security for himself and his family will now come up for hearing on August 10, when his counsel will inform the Punjab and Haryana High Court whether he is ready and willing to bear the expenses of the security sought.

When the matter came up before Justice Aman Chaudhary’s Bench, senior advocate P.S. Ahluwalia, along with counsel Sankalp Gehlawat, sought time to obtain instructions “as to whether the petitioner was ready and willing to bear expenses for security, if granted to him”. Accepting the request, the Bench adjourned the matter to August 10.

Kundu submitted that he had approached the High Court seeking adequate security and protection for himself and his family after receiving repeated threats from gangsters to eliminate them. The petitioner stated that he, on May 25, received several missed calls on his WhatsApp number, followed by a voice message lasting over one minute. In the message, he was allegedly threatened with elimination in the same manner as a financier from another village in Haryana, who, according to the caller, had been shot with around 30 bullets. The caller warned he too would be shot with “300 bullets”, unless he paid the extortion money demanded

The petition further stated that on May 27 Kundu again received a missed call, accompanied by a voice note warning him to “be ready, we will meet soon”. It was added that the fifth and sixth threats had been received by the petitioner in continuation of the earlier threats.

Kundu contended that the security presently provided to him was inadequate and did not allay the apprehension arising from the repeated threats. He asserted that no security had been provided to his family despite specific threats directed at them.

The petition further alleged that the security personnel deputed with him were unable to accompany him outside Haryana without prior permission from a senior police functionary, rendering the protection ineffective whenever he travelled to other states. It was also alleged that the security personnel did not carry modern weapons, which could prove fatal in the event of an attack.

Kundu further submitted that he stayed in Gurugram as well, but no security had been provided in or around his residential complex.