Patna: A ruling party lawmaker in India’s Bihar state has demanded additional security cover, after gangsters alleged attempted to extort Rs10 million (Dh550,616) from him — and threatened to kill him if he failed to oblige.
The panic-stricken Vidyasagar Singh Nishad — a Janata Dal United (JD-U) lawmaker representing the Morwa seat in Samastipur — has registered a case with police.
Nishad was at home on Saturday morning when he allegedly received as many as three SMSes at quick intervals, asking him to pay Rs10 million or be ready to face bullets.
He reported the matter to senior police officials and sought additional police security.
“The lawmaker has already been provided with three security guards. We will intensify his security further if required. We are investigating the case,” the local district superintendent of police Nawal Kishore Singh told journalists on Monday.
This is the second recent extortion bid a ruling party lawmaker has faced in the state.
Earlier this month, criminals sought Rs15 million extortion from the son of another Janata Dal United (JD-U) lawmaker Ramanand Prasad Singh.
The alleged gangsters called up Dr Sanjeev Kumar, son of JD-U lawmaker, and demanded Rs15 million, threatening to kill him if he reported the matter to the police.
According to the victim, who runs a prominent diagnostic centre in the state capital, he got repeated calls over his mobile during which the callers asked him to pay the money or face dire consequences.
Last year, an independent lawmaker from Muzaffarpur district received a demand for Rs10 million from suspected Maoists.
Kumari, a first time lawmaker from Bochaha assembly seat had defeated mighty JD-U politician Rami Ram who had won the seat for nine consecutive terms before being trounced.
