Orissa actress receives death threats from gangster

Bhubaneswar, March 6 (IANS) An Oriya actress has alleged that a gangster has been threatening to kill her and members of her family if she doesn't marry him, police said Thursday.

Leslie Tripathy, who has acted in a few Oriya films and starred in some music videos, has claimed that Sandip Acharya alias Raja has been calling her and sending her threatening smses for the past few years, a police official said.

'I visited a jail where Acharya was lodged in 2005 as part of a jail reform programme. Although I don't know him he has been threatening to kill me and members of my family if I don't marry him,' said Tripathy.

'The actress is falsely accusing me because she wanted to marry me but I refused,' said Acharya.

There are several cases of extortion, murder and kidnapping against Acharya, a police official said.

Police arrested him Wednesday and released him after he furnished a bail of Rs.50,000, the official added.