Bihar BJP MP from Araria gets threatening message from notorious gangster

BJP MP from Bihar's Araria Pradeep Singh on Wednesday claimed that he has received a threatening message from a notorious gangster who asked him to cough up Rs 10 lakh and extend some other favours.

The gangster also threatened to eliminate him if the demands were not met, Singh alleged in his complaint with local police.

He got a message on his mobile phone recently from an unknown number with the ISD code of Nepal.

Singh said, "The sender identified himself as Vinod Rathore, whose gang has been targeting me for some time".

The sender had demanded, in the message, Rs 10 lakh, besides the intervention of the MP for "the release of my brother Dinesh Rathore", the MP claimed.

Singh added that he received the message on the August 27 afternoon, shortly after he did not pick up an incoming call from the same number and claimed that the sender wrote, "It is the last warning..... if you do not do as directed, we will bump you off at any spot in the district, by launching a fusillade of bullets, grenades and bombs".

Meanwhile, the Araria police said in a statement that it has made adequate security arrangements for the MP in view of the complaint, and registered an FIR under relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The police also said a search was on for Vinod Rathore, who is wanted in a number of other cases and has been evading arrest.

"The process has been initiated for attaching the properties of Vinod Rathore, whose two brothers Dinesh and Vijay have similar criminal antecedents and are currently lodged in a jail in Bhagalpur", the police said.