Threat calls and voice messages from abroad: Cops kept watch on bizman’s house for a week

3 min readUpdated: Jul 11, 2026 11:37 AM IST

Businessman's residnece in Sushant Lok and police personnel deployed after the encounter.

Businessman Vishal Beri, who lives with his family in a three-storey house at Sushant Lok Phase I in Gurugram, had been receiving threat calls, messages and voice notes from an international number for over a week, police said.

According to an officer, Beri owns several properties that generate substantial rental income. He is also involved in the event management business.

“His father, Rajesh Beri, was the founder of a private university. However, the family later dissociated itself from the university’s management,” the officer said.

After receiving continuous threat calls and messages, Beri allegedly approached the police seeking security for himself and his family.

Considering the matter sensitive, the local Sushant Lok police station under the Sector 29 police district was directed to keep a close watch on his residence, said police.

“The voice notes and messages allegedly warned that he would soon face the consequences if he did not comply with their demands and pay them money,” the officer said.

According to sources, a few police personnel in plain clothes remained deployed outside his house, keeping a watch on the movement of suspicious persons and vehicles.

Story continues below this ad

The surveillance is believed to have contributed to the Crime Branch’s swift action in neutralising the suspected gangsters, who had allegedly come to target Beri’s residence in A Block, Sushant Lok Phase I.

Police suspect that Beri’s involvement in the event management business may have led gangster Deepak Nandal and his associates to learn about him and his properties, making him a potential target.

In the wake of the encounter, a case by case evaluation by police in Gurugram is likely of the alleged threats received recently by prominent business families in the city, police said on Friday. No orders, however, have been issued to upgrade their security cover, they added.

“We are approached for a lot of allegations… Many of them are not credible enough to pursue so we plan to monitor each on a case-to-case basis before giving any protection. As of now, we have not issued any orders to increase protection to businesspersons or families as such,” a senior officer said.

Story continues below this ad

Over the past few years, Gurugram has witnessed a sharp spike in extortion demands from international crime syndicates.

The Deepak Nandal gang has claimed responsibility for a string of violent incidents in recent months. Beyond the Nandal syndicate, the city’s businessmen have frequently been in the crosshairs of networks led by incarcerated gangsters such as Kaushal Chaudhary and the Lawrence Bishnoi-Goldy Brar alliance, officers said.

Abhimanyu Hazarika is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Gurgaon. He covers southern Haryana.

Education

- Post-Graduate Diploma in Print Media, Asian College of Journalism (Class of 2020)

- B.A. (Hons) Liberal Arts with a major in Political Science, Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts (Class of 2019)

Professional Experience

Before joining The Indian Express, he worked with Bar & Bench (legal journalism) and Frontline magazine, where he developed experience in court reporting, legal analysis, and long-form investigative features.

Reporting Interests

His work centres on civic accountability, environmental policy, urban infrastructure and culture, crime and law enforcement, and their intersections with politics and governance in and around Gurgaon.

Recent Coverage (2025)

- Crime: Reported on the recovery of 350 kg of explosives and an AK-47 from a rented house in Faridabad, linked to the 2025 Red Fort car explosion case (November 11, 2025).

- Environmental policy: Covered protests outside a Haryana minister’s residence against a Supreme Court order that environmentalists argue could allow mining and real estate development on large parts of the Aravalli hills (December 21, 2025).

- Pollution control measures: Co-authored coverage of the Rekha Gupta government’s enforcement of vehicle restrictions at Delhi-NCR borders (December 21, 2025).

- Road safety and infrastructure: Examined response lapses in the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway hit-and-run case and ongoing investigations into high-speed road crimes in Gurugram.

- Animal welfare policy: Reported on concerns regarding the low budget allocated for stray dog sterilization by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (November 30, 2025).

- Urban culture: Featured the social media-driven popularity of a new Magnolia Bakery outlet in Gurugram (December 15, 2025).

Contact

X (Twitter): @AB_Hazardous ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Tags:

Gurugram