An artisan gives final touches to the Durga idols in Dhanbad. Picture by Gautam Dey

Bokaro, Oct. 5: A lawyer from Patna High Court, a doctor from Bokaro and two sons of Bokaro Steel Plant employees were arrested by Chas police in connection to a case of extortion calls made to a business family of Chas.

The four have been identified as Arvind Kumar Singh a lawyer of Sector IX (Bokaro) originally practising at Patna, Lalan Prasad a doctor from Aurangabad (Bihar), Anand Kumar of Sector IXD (Bokaro) and Ehsan Ansari of Piprataand, Harla (Bokaro).

It has been alleged that the four even blasted a crude bomb in the businessmen?s backyard.

Police sources revealed that around four weeks ago the owners of Kashi Vastralaya, brothers Ashok Kedia and Bhola Nath Kedia, received a call from unknown assailants who introduced themselves as zonal commanders of MCC. The men threatened the Kedias to cough up Rs 14 lakh or face dire consequences. The men were told to pay up otherwise their ?families would suffer.?

The money was asked to be paid in two installments and before the puja. When the Kedia brothers did not pay any attention to the calls, three days later a crude bomb was dropped in their backyard. The incident was followed by a call from the same number and the threat was repeated.

It was then that the family lodged a complaint at the Chas police station.

The police decided to tap the Kedia phone. Later an inspector from the Chas police station posing as a relative called up the number and set a rendezvous point with the criminals.

As per agreement the money was to be paid today at Sector VI and police arrested all the four persons red-handed when they came to receive the money.

The money was to be kept in bag which was being carried by police personnel in civil dress.

The Bokaro SP, Manvinder Singh Bhatia, said the nabbed criminals are being interrogated about the gang and their other associates.