Extortion demand: Ex-corporator fears for life

LUCKNOW: Former corporator Shoaib Ahmad of Rajajipuram fears for his life after he received a letter demanding extortion on Tuesday morning. He had lodged an FIR under IPC section 384 at Talkatora police station on Wednesday suspecting a local trader Atul Nigam behind the act.

Talking over phone, Ahmad said he found an extortion letter on the floor when he opened his watches showroom in Rajajipuram-E Block market on Tuesday morning. He said the extortionist demanded to pay him ₹1 lakh within 15 days or face dire consequences.

He told that the extortionist threatened that he would barge into his house and shoot him down if the amount was not paid.

The extortionist also mentioned that he must ask his employee to take back his case, said Ahmad. He said the mention of the case, lodged by his employee, in the extortion letter puts one Atul Nigam under suspicion.

Nigam ran a gift shop in the same market and had attacked his employee Mohd Asif on October 4 over a petty issue in which the Asifs’ hand got fractured, said Ahmad. He added that Asif had lodged an FIR against Nigam with Talkatora police in the matter but police had not initiated any action against him so far.

He said the police was even reluctant in registering the FIR of extortion and lodged the case only when he approached senior authorities.

However, ASP (West) Vikas Tripathi said, “The matter is in our knowledge and we are carrying out a fair investigation.”