Patna: In a major breakthrough, Muzaffarpur police arrested three members of a gang that allegedly posed as associates of Lawrence Bishnoi and demanded Rs 2 crore in extortion from BJP functionaries in the district. An SIT traced the threats to a single WhatsApp number used to target three BJP functionaries within four days.According to police, the arrested accused persons have been identified as Aman Prakash, a contractual employee at the district transport office, Pawan Sahani and Kanhai Kumar. Raids are on to nab the fourth accused.The gang allegedly demanded Rs 50 lakh from BJP leader Ranjeet Sahani of Brahmpura on July 21, Rs 1 crore from zila parishad member and BJP neta Rajesh Sahani of Sahebganj on July 24, and Rs 50 lakh from Krishna Murari, BJP neta and son of Bihar tourism minister Kedar Prasad Gupta, the police said.According to police, Krishna Murari received the extortion message around 10.20pm on July 24 and subsequently lodged an FIR at Sadar police station seeking security cover.Given the gravity of the case, Muzaffarpur SSP Kantesh Kumar Mishra constituted an SIT to investigate the threats. During the probe, investigators found that the same WhatsApp number had been used to issue all three extortion threats. Police said technical analysis and surveillance helped identify the accused and establish links between the cases.Investigators have also found that the gang allegedly sent similar threats in the name of the Bishnoi gang to an MLA, a doctor and several other public representatives in Patna. Police are now probing the group’s wider network and examining digital evidence, including IP details, call records and WhatsApp activity.Officials said Krishna Murari had also received an extortion demand of Rs 10 lakh ahead of the 2025 assembly elections. However, no arrest could be made in that case due to lack of evidence.SSP Mishra said FIRs had been registered in all three recent cases and several members of the gang had been arrested. “The case will be disclosed soon,” he said.Police are treating the matter as an organised cyber-extortion racket that exploited the name of Lawrence Bishnoi to create fear and extort money from public figures.
