Patna, June 23: Medical practitioners in Patna seem to have become a soft target for extortionists.

While a plastic surgeon approached the police for protection after being threatened with “dire consequences” allegedly by a notorious criminal lodged in Beur Central Jail, another medical practitioner of Patna City area is planning to wind up his business.

Acting swiftly, the Kotwali police provided security to Dr Ratan Sharma, the plastic surgeon, who was asked by a jailbird to cough up Rs 20 lakh as extortion. Sharma’s complaint was lodged on the directive Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Alok Kumar.

However, Dr Prabhabat Suman, who runs a private nursing home at Pahari Pad under Agamkuan police station in Patna City, is not as fortunate. He had lodged a complaint on June 10 apprehending threat to his life after he denied paying Rs 5 lakh as extortion to a criminal of the area.

Dr Suman had identified one of the extortionists as Rajiv alias Lalbu, who had allegedly asked him to pay the extortion money at the earliest failing which he would be eliminated.

“Apprehending trouble I met the SSP and narrated my tale of woes. The SSP subsequently directed the station house officer of Agamkaun police station to look into the matter,” he said.

The alleged extortionist got infuriated over Dr Suman’s decision to meet the SSP. The criminal, who was released from jail only a couple of weeks ago, asked his associates to open fire at the doctor’s nursing home.

The indiscriminate firing caused panic among the employees as well as attendants of the patients admitted to the nursing home.

The audacity of the criminals in question can be gauged from the fact that he entered the premises with illegal firearms on June 13 and threatened the doctors while his associates stood guard outside. “He (Lambu) asked me to do what I can,” Dr Suman quoted the alleged extortionist as saying.

Not only that they also attempted to commit a dacoity in the doctor’s go-down. “The criminals escaped after some employees on duty raised an alarm,” he said.

Dr Suman, a resident of Harnaut in Nalanda district, told The Telegraph if things did not improve in the near future he would have to down the shutters and settle somewhere else. “I fail to understand why the police have adopted a soft attitude towards the extortionist, who is facing charges of murder and loot,” he said.

Station house officer of Agamkuan police station Pramod Kumar Jha said the prime accused in the case has already been sent to jail.

“He surrendered in the court on June 14 and was subsequently forwarded to jail,” he said, adding that the doctor’s allegations were being verified.