Patna: A battery dealer in Patna has reported receiving a series of extortion calls demanding Rs. 2 crore, with the caller allegedly invoking the name of an MLA and threatening to abduct his child if he failed to comply. The victim, Ashish Srivastava, a resident of the Munnachak area, lodged a formal complaint after his family was left terrified by the escalating threats.
Srivastava approached the police shortly after the call, prompting officers to begin tracing the source. Station House Officer Roshni Kumari said the matter is under investigation and further comments will only follow once key details are verified. The case is currently being handled by the Chitragupta Nagar police station.
Police Tracing Caller as MLA’s Name Withheld
Authorities have so far declined to disclose which MLA’s name the caller used. According to DSP (Sadar-1) Ranjan Kumar, the initial ransom call was received on Sunday on Srivastava’s mobile phone. He immediately reported the incident to Journalist Nagar police station, but the case was transferred to Chitragupta Nagar due to jurisdiction.
Police teams are now working to trace the caller’s identity and confirm the political name invoked. Officials said the details would be revealed once preliminary leads are verified.
Threats Escalate: “If You’re Building a Mall, Pay the Money”
The complaint details a pattern of repeated calls. Srivastava’s father, Surendra Kumar Sinha, first received a suspicious call on 16 November, which he dismissed as a wrong number. The calls resumed on 22 November, and this time the caller threatened:
“I am going to kidnap Surendra Kumar Sinha’s son.”
On 23 November, the caller allegedly contacted Ashish directly, identified himself as Sumit Singh, and said:
“If you are building a mall at Shagun Mor, pay ₹2 crore. If you don’t, I will kill you.”
Srivastava insists he runs only a battery and spare parts business, but the caller refused to listen.
Multiple Numbers Used; STF Joins Probe
Sources say Srivastava has since been receiving calls from different numbers. On Monday, he informed police that he received further calls at 3:49 pm and 3:45 pm from new mobile numbers. He claims that unknown-number calls have stopped for now, but the threat still looms.
