Rs 1.2 crore extortion demanded from former JD(U) MP

Patna: In a daring attempt to extort money from former JD(U) MP Baidyanath Prasad Mahto, criminals exploded a bomb outside his residence at Jayprakash Nagar under the Mufassil police station area in West Champaran district and demanded Rs1.20 crore early Friday morning.
Mahto, who was not present there, told TOI over phone from West Champaran that the miscreants also pasted a poster on the boundary wall of the house and exploded a bomb.“The poster was signed in the name of one ‘Royal Group’, a gang now active in Bettiah and demands ransom from people. I generally stay at my native house at Pakaria Tola in village Jagdishpur. My nephew and others stay in the house where the incident took place.”
Mahto, who is also a former Bihar minister, said his nephew and other relatives woke up around 4am on Friday following a deafening sound of explosion. When they came out of the house, they found the exploded bomb in front of the main gate. They also found parts of incense sticks (agarbatti) near the exploded bomb. “It appears that the criminals had put the burning agarbatti near the bomb to explode and disappeared from the spot after pasting the poster,” he said.
He said the poster was handwritten with a threat to kill him if he failed to pay the money. However, Mahto said, “I have been in politics probably even before these new goons were born. I have seen Bettiah during the worst period from crime point of view. So, I am least bothered about such threats.”
Champaran DIG Gopal Prasad with other senior officials visited the spot. An FIR was lodged in this connection with the Mufassil police station.
Gopal said over phone that eight members of the Royal Group were earlier arrested and sent to jail. “They were accused of demanding ransom from doctors and others. Among the eight members, a few were newcomers while others had criminal antecedents,” he said.
Police sources said there is no veteran gang now involved in organized crime in West Champaran. This is probably a new group formed by newcomers with the backing of some veterans. “We suggested Mahto to have extra security for the time being, but he refused,” said a police source adding that the former minister already has two bodyguards.