A Khargone trader is under police protection after an extortion attempt and threats, with investigators probing potential links to the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
Key Points
- A trader in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh, faced a firing incident at his residence followed by a Rs 10 crore extortion demand.
- The trader and his family received threats via WhatsApp calls and voice notes from unknown individuals.
- A social media post claimed responsibility for the attack, alleging connections to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
- Police are investigating the extortion attempt and verifying the claimed links to the Lawrence Bishnoi crime syndicate.
- The trader's family is currently scared, and security has been deployed at their residence.
Shots were fired at a trader's house in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone district, and the attackers later demanded Rs 10 crore, while a social media post claimed they had links to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, an official said on Thursday.
The incident took place on Monday at Bhilgaon under Kasrawad police station limits, about 50 km from the district headquarters. Security has been deployed at the residence of the trader, Dilip Rathore, he said.
The family was in Indore at the time, the official said.
District Superintendent of Police (SP) Ravindra Verma said a case was registered based on a complaint by Dilip's son Satyendra on Wednesday. He confirmed that a firing incident took place and said police are investigating all angles.
In his complaint, Satyendra said that he and his father subsequently received threats through WhatsApp calls and voice notes from unknown persons. The accused allegedly sent a video of the firing and demanded Rs 10 crore, threatening to blow up the house.
A voice call received on Tuesday threatened to kill the entire family and claimed that the firing was carried out on Monday night.
Satyendra told the police that multiple calls were received from foreign numbers on Wednesday, but the trader's family ignored those, Verma added.
After receiving the video, the trader's family checked CCTV footage, which showed three masked men on a motorcycle opening fire at the house, the official said.
Social Media Claims and Police Investigation
Meanwhile, a social media post by persons identifying themselves as "Harry Boxer" and "Arju Bishnoi" claimed responsibility for the firing and said the attackers had links with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's crime syndicate. The post issued further threats to the trader and his family.
Police said they were verifying the claims made in the social media post and probing possible links to a similar threat reported recently in the Ashok Nagar district.
Dilip Rathore said he is currently out of station, adding that his family members are scared. He declined to comment further.
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