Patna: In a major embarrassment to the ruling Grand Alliance government in Bihar headed by chief minister Nitish Kumar, the police have registered a case against former parliamentarian Anirudh Prasad, more popular as Sadhu Yadav, for allegedly seeking Rs 5 million as extortion from a builder. Yadav who also heads the Garib Janata Dal (Secular) is the brother-in-law of politician Lalu Prasad whose Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is now a coalition partner in the ruling GA government in the state.

In his complaint petition registered with the local Kotawali police station in Patna late Wednesday evening, the builder Anil Singh alleged Yadav called him up over his cell phone and threatened him with dire consequences if the latter failed to pay up the extortion money.

Curiously, the builder who himself is absconding after being wanted by the police in many criminal cases sought helps from his manager Narendra Kumar Chaudhary to register case against Yadav. Police are taking extra care in the case since the matter remains to be a high profile one involving the brother-in-law of the politician whose party ruled Bihar for 15 years and is now a partner in the ruling Nitish Kumar government.

“We have registered the case based on the complaint petition and are investigating it,” the local deputy superintendent of police Shibali Nomani told the media on Thursday.

Yadav admitted having called up the builder but denied seeking extortion over phone. “I called up the builder to request him hand over the flat to his close acquaintance for which he had already taken money but was not refusing to oblige,” clarified Yadav, adding the builder was trying to divert the matter to other direction. “I never sought extortion,” he claimed adding it was part of the conspiracy to tarnish image of the government as everybody know with whom he was related.

According to another story, Yadav had invested his alleged ill-gotten money in the real estate business through Singh but the builder is now refusing to return it. “The whole fight is now for the money,” said a police source.

Yadav who always has been in the news but for all the wrong reasons, enjoyed great clout while the RJD government remained in power from 1990 to 2005. Later, Prasad family severed relations with him and shut the door of his house on this controversial man. After falling out with his brother-in-law, Yadav first joined the Congress and then himself filed nomination against his sister Rabri Devi from Saran seat during the last Lok Sabha polls but eventually withdrew from the contest. Rabri also lost the seat.

Just before the 2015 Bihar state polls, he formed his own political outfit, Garib Janata Dal (Secular) and fielded his candidates against the GA nominees although his party drew a blank.