Mumbai, Apr 21 (PTI): Former Maharashtra MLA and NCP leader Zeeshan Siddique on Monday claimed he has received a death threat via emails warning he would be "killed the same way" as his father Baba Siddique if he didn't pay Rs 10 crore to a person claiming to be a 'D-company' member.

A police official said after receiving a complaint, they have launched a probe into the death threat and extortion demand, and are in the process of recording the statement of Zeeshan Siddique.

Former state minister Baba Siddique was shot dead by gunmen on Dussehra day last year outside his son Zeeshan's office in Mumbai's Bandra area.

Talking to PTI, Zeeshan Siddique said, "Since the last three days I am receiving emails continuously, with content that 'you would be killed just like Baba Siddique if you don't pay Rs 10 crore'. The sender claimed to be a member of the D-company and warned me not to contact police."

The NCP leader said threatening messages were sent to his personal email account.

The sender claimed the 'D-company', a name given to Mumbai's organized crime syndicate founded by fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, and not the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, was behind the killing of Baba Siddique, he said.

"Fed with the repeated emails I contacted the Bandra police," said the former MLA.

A police team has reached Zeeshan Siddique's Bandra residence to record his statement, the official added.

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Bijapur (PTI): More than 15 Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces on Wednesday in the forests of Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district bordering Telangana where a massive counter-insurgency operation is underway, a senior police official said.

The gunfight broke out this morning in Karregutta hills forest along the inter-state border, he said.

So far, more than 15 Naxalites have been killed and the operation continues, he said.

The ongoing Operation Sankalp, said to be one of the biggest counter-insurgency actions launched in Bastar region, involves around 24,000 security personnel belonging to different units including District Reserve Guard (DRG), Bastar Fighters, Special Task Force (STF), all units of state police, Central reserve Police Force (CRPF) and its elite unit CoBRA.

The operation was launched on April 21 based on inputs about the presence of senior cadres of battalion no. 1, the strongest military formation of Maoists, and Telangana state committee of Maoists.