A city-based realtor, G. K. Shankar, has allegedly received ransom threat calls from a person identifying himself as “Vicky Shetty” and claiming to be an operative of the underworld.
Vicky Shetty is an underworld operative hailing from Mangaluru, said to be based abroad, and a former aide of another underworld operative Ravi Poojary arrested by Karnataka Police in 2020.
According to sources, Mr. Shankar received the first call a few days ago. During the conversation, the caller allegedly claimed to be Vicky Shetty and demanded ransom money from the realtor. The caller also reportedly threatened to kill Shankar during his son’s wedding ceremony if the demanded money was not paid.
Initially, Shankar ignored the calls, believing them to be a prank. However, after receiving repeated threat calls, he approached the police and lodged a formal complaint. Based on the complaint, police have registered a case and initiated an investigation into the matter.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that the threats were made through internet-based calls received on Shankar’s mobile phone. Police are now working to trace the origin of the calls and identify the accused behind the extortion attempt.
Published – May 16, 2026 11:17 pm IST
