Patna, June 22: A noted plastic surgeon of Bihar, Dr Ratan Sharma, has received an extortion demand of Rs 20 lakh allegedly from a notorious gangster lodged in the high-security prison at Beur.

Sharma reported the matter to the Kotwali police station three days ago and subsequently an FIR was lodged against unidentified persons.

The medical practitioner is so frightened that he has not visited his clinic after receiving the extortion call on his cellphone.

The caller, who reportedly identified himself as a “notorious criminal” lodged in the jail, threatened Sharma with dire consequences if he failed to cough up the money.

This is not the first time that a criminal has demanded extortion money from behind the bars. The gangster suspected to be involved in making the extortion call to Sharma is facing charges of murder, loot and extortion. Police are not disclosing his name as they want to check if he was indeed making the calls or someone else was making them using his name.

Sharma lives in Kadamkuan but his clinic is located in the area falling under Kotwali police station. The doctor met Patna senior superintendent of police Alok Kumar, who directed Kotwali police station house officer Aman Kumar to lodge a complaint and trace the caller.

The police, however, preferred to keep the matter under wraps for three days. “The doctor has been provided security at his residence,” a police officer associated with the investigation said. Plainclothesmen have also been deputed at the doctor’s clinic.

On May 29, Dr Budhdeo Singh posted at the Gopalganj district jail, was beaten to death by some inmates.