Almost three months on, Rajkishore Chaurasia, the trader receiving extortion demands since June, has seen a glimmer of hope.
Chowk police visited his computer centre in Patna City last Saturday, the first time since the trader made three futile bids to lodge an FIR against the ransom threats. The team told him that an FIR had been lodged and investigation had been started in his case.
“It is a breather for me and my family. The police came to my computer centre-cum-residence at Chowk Shikarpur on Saturday. They spoke to me and my family. They assured us of looking into all possible angles. The station house officer told me that the FIR had been lodged now and the police were seriously probing into the case. The team also went to another computer centre for probe. I am happy that the police have acted,” Chaurasia told The Telegraph.
The computer centre owner, however, claimed that he was yet to get any receipt against the three applications he submitted with the police station on June 16, August 25 and August 29. His attempt to lodge an FIR with the Danapur police station proved futile too.
“I am yet to receive any receipt for my applications,” he said.
The June 16 threat letter to Chaurasia had claimed that another computer coaching centre had paid a supaari (contract) of Rs 7 lakh to eliminate him and he must pay Rs 5 lakh and a monthly sum of Rs 10,000 to prevent that.
“The police went to the other computer centre to investigate. A teacher, who earlier used to work at Chaurasia’s centre, works there,” a source said.
Chaurasia received the first threat call on August 24 in which the caller reminded him about the letter and asked him whether the money was ready or not. He threatened Chaurasia that he would have to pay with the lives of his two children and his brother if the extortion demands were not fulfilled.
Chaurasia’s elder son had been staying with his maternal grandmother in Danapur, 1km from St Dominic Savio’s High School. After the call, Chaurasia stopped sending his son to the school.
Last week, St Dominic Savio’s High School, had allegedly denied the bus facility to Chaurasia’s son, citing security reasons.
The school authorities, however, claimed that they never shunned the student nor denied providing him with the school transport. Chaurasia never informed the school about the threat perception, an official of the institution said.
School director G.J. Galstaun has written to The Telegraph, clarifying its stand.
“The boy was attending school till August 24 without any information given to us about any ransom call or letter. A Patna City address was given at the time of the admission of the student but no correspondence regarding the change of address has been received so far. Moreover before August 31, the school authorities did not receive any information from anyone regarding Rajkishore Chaurasia receiving ransom threats. The parents should have informed the school about it when the institution reopened after the vacation on June 27,” Galstaun wrote in the letter.
The director added that the boy’s parents should have dropped him at the school and picked him up after the classes if the case appeared so risky. “The school has not denied bus facility to the student. The school management wanted to take foolproof steps to ensure the student’s safety and had advised the parent to come back on Monday (today) after the matter was discussed at the management meeting. This does not amount to shunning the student or denying his request,” Galstaun wrote in the letter.
The authorities have summoned Chaurasia to the school again on September 6 for a discussion.
