Judicial magistrate lodges FIR following threats in Bihar

Motihari (Bihar), June 9: A First Class Judicial Magistrate on Thursday, June 9 lodged an FIR stating that he has received an extortion demand of Rs 25 lakh failing which he would be eliminated.

"An FIR has been lodged with town police station by Nishant Kumar Priyadarshi, Judicial Magistrate First Class, Raxaul, Motihari, for receiving an extortion demand of Rs 25 lakh, failing which he (JM) would be eliminated," town police station SHO Ajay Kumar said.

The FIR has been lodged under two sections of IPC 353 which deals with 'assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty' and 387 that talks about 'putting person in fear of death or of grievous hurt, in order to commit extortion.'

As per the FIR, Priyadarshi, received calls twice from an anonymous caller when he was discharging his duty in his official chamber at Motihari. When the JM asked the name of the caller, he (caller) asked him (JM) in a threatening tone to get his nephew, who was involved in a criminal case, free. The caller also asked the JM to pay Rs 25 lakh failing which he would be eliminated, the FIR said.

The investigation has started, the SHO said. When contacted, Bihar Judicial Services Association Secretary Ajit Kumar Singh expressed concern about the safety and security of the Judicial Officers posted all over the state.

Singh, a Sub-Judge at Jamui, said that the Patna High Court has taken up the matter of security of Judicial Officers with the state government, pursuant to which it was resolved by the Department of Home, Bihar Government, to provide security cover to all Judicial Officers including magistrates.

The Secretary said that he has taken up the security matter with the state government and DGP but concerns are yet to be addressed completely. East Champaran District Bar Association Secretary Shambhu Sharan Singh also condemned the incident.

PTI