Jamshedpur, Oct. 20: Extortion victim and businessman Raj Singh has been shifted from Tata Main Hospital’s surgery ward to the hospital’s critical care unit last night. The 26-year-old’s condition has deteriorated leading the doctors to put him on a ventilator.

Doctors have advised not to move the victim from CCU or else the situation might spin out of control. His condition is so serious that the team of doctors attending to Raj today did not risk conducting a CT Scan on him.

“My boy has lost his senses and is now on ventilator. I am hoping that he will come back home healthy, said Baldev Singh, the victim’s father.

Raj Singh and his friend Sunny Saini were accosted by a gang of extortionists at Bistupur late on October 16.

The criminals beat up the youths and demanded Rs 10,000 from them. The thugs subsequently managed to make Sunny, the proprietor of a petrol pump, pay Rs 5,000 from an ATM counter.

As Sunny went to get the money, the youths continued to thrash Raj, who was kept hostage. He was released only after he assured that he would pay the rest of the money.

But the next morning Raj lost consciousness and by noon he was admitted to the Tata Main Hospital. “Raj has gone into a coma. He has brain haemorrhage,” said sources at the hospital.

When queried, a doctor said, “Nothing could be said at this juncture. The victim’s condition is very critical.”

Police have arrested one Ravinder Singh alias Chhotu in connection with the case.Chhotu is the son of sales-tax inspector Vishwanath Singh, posted in the Jamshedpur circle.

Yesterday, the police had arrested Bittu Singh, a resident of Bistupur.