Patna, June 11: The Union home ministry has directed the Bihar government to provide adequate security to IPS officer Amitabh Kumar Das in view of threat to his life.

Das is at present posted as commandant of the Bihar Military Police, stationed at Jamalpur in Munger district.

The central security agencies had earlier reported to the ministry about a threat perception to the 1994 batch IPS officer, who was credited with exposing the nexus between some politicians of the state with railway contractors during his stint as superintendent of railway police (Patna) between August 2001 and May 2003. The ministry wrote to the Bihar government on May 31 and asked for adequate security to the officer.

The letter, written by deputy secretary N.I. Chowdhury, says: “The matter (related to security arrangements) has been examined in the ministry in consultation with the central security agencies. His (Das’s) security should be beefed up accordingly.”

Top sources said a copy of the letter has been sent to the director-general of police for necessary action. “We have received the letter from the ministry and forwarded it to the state police headquarters,” an official of the Bihar home department said.

Das, sources said, had apprehended threat to his life from the railway mafia when he was posted as the railway police superintendent here. A letter written by Das to then deputy inspector-general (rail) Subodh Kumar Singh, copies of which were also sent to the state police headquarters and the chairman of the railway board, said some contractors with criminal antecedents had virtually grabbed the railway contracts on three important routes.

While the Patna-Mokama section was in the grip of the mafia led by Surajbhan Singh (who later won the Assembly election from Mokama and was also elected to Parliament from Balia), the Patna-Mughalsarai section was controlled by Sunil Pandey (now a JD (U) legislator).Similarly, the Patna-Gaya route was under the control of Babloo Singh (leader of the notorious Pandav Sena). “These dons manage the railway contracts worth several crores right from Mughalsarai to Mokama. The contracts are allotted according to the wishes of the dons,” the letter by Das as railway police superintendent, a copy of which is in the possession of The Telegraph, says.