Areraj block development officer (BDO) Bhagwan Upadhyaya allegedly received repeated calls from a criminal demanding Rs 10 lakh as extortion.

The criminal made the calls on the BDO’s official cellphone on Thursday between 6.20am and 8pm. An FIR was registered in this connection on Friday.

The caller, who identified himself as Bhola Tewari alias Ajuba Baba, had asked the BDO to deliver the money at Chatia Barharwa embankment in the diara (riverbanks) of the Gandak by 10am on Friday. Till reports last came in, the BDO did not pay the money.

Deputy superintendent of police Ajay Kumar Pandey said: “We are trying to get the call details of the cellphone used to make the extortion calls. The cellphone has been switched off. So, the location of the cellphone could not be traced.”

Upadhyaya said the first call was made on Thursday at 6.20am. “The last call made at 8pm (on Thursday) was a missed call. I informed the police about the incident.”