SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, May 7: While the district has yet to overcome the murder of an MRF tyre trader and extortion demand from a doctor, firing at the house of a cloth merchant Md Shamin in Wasseypur under Bank More police station on Friday night for ransom has rocked Dhanbad again.
As per the complaint of the businessman named Md Shamin, at around 9.30 pm, bike-borne criminals appeared in front of his house in Wasseypur’s Azad Nagar Colony and fired three rounds in the air and fled away. They also threw a letter for extortion as demanded earlier.
The trader informed police that the notorious Prince Khan of Wasseypur had been demanding extortion of Rs 50 lakh from him for the last two months. Three days ago, after receiving a video threat from the criminals, he had confined himself with his family after informing the police.
After getting the information, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) law and order Amar Kumar Pandey, Bank More police station officer-in-charge Pramod Kumar Singh and Bhuli OP police reached the spot. The police recovered three empty cartridges from the spot. “Police are investigating the incident,” said the DSP to media persons.
Though no damage was reported due to the firing, panic prevails in the area.
Md Shamin runs Apsara Bazar in Dhanbad’s Purana Bazar. “I will not open my shop till the police investigation is completed,” he said.
On April 29, MRF tyre showroom owner Ranjit Sab was shot dead in his establishment in Jharia while on May 3, Suyash Clinic owner Dr Samir Kumar shut down his health centre after receiving an extortion demand of Rs 1 crore.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Dhanbad Chamber of Commerce has condemned the incident and said that continuous attacks on traders by criminals for extortion have shaken the confidence of businessmen in the police administration.
“It is an unfortunate incident. Even after video threats, police did not act. The chamber had handed over a memorandum to the district administration, former chief minister and BJP legislative party leader Babulal Marandi but of no avail. Now traders of the district are left with no option but to shut down establishments as Dr Samir Kumar has done and leave Dhanbad,” said Rajesh Gupta, patron of the Federation of Dhanbad Chamber of Commerce.
