Businessman Alleges Threats, Seeks Police Protection After Ransom Demand

Key Points:

• Trader accuses caller of posing as jailed Naxal to demand ransom
• Victim alleges he was threatened with weapons at a hotel
• Police say investigation into the case is currently underway

SERAIKELA – A case of alleged extortion carried out in the name of a notorious Naxal has reignited concerns over Naxal activity in the Chandil police station area of Seraikela-Kharsawan district. However, it remains unclear whether those making the threats are genuinely linked to a Naxal outfit or are merely invoking a militant’s name to extract money.

Police have begun investigating the complaint. Meanwhile, the case centers on a businessman named Sufal Murmu, a resident of Dhadkidih within the Chandil police station area.

In his written complaint, Murmu alleged that on the night of July 16, 2026, at around 8:33 pm, a WhatsApp call came in on the phone of his associate, Naresh Kumar Sahu. The caller identified himself as Maharaj Pramanik, a notorious Naxal with a bounty on his head, currently lodged in Hazaribagh jail. He then demanded a monthly ransom of Rs 20,000. According to the complaint, other individuals were added to the exchange through a conference call.

The application names Raju Kumhar, Kartik Pramanik, Raju Kisku, Nayan Soren and others, accusing them of demanding extortion money, issuing death threats and using caste-based slurs to intimidate the victim. Besides the phone threats, the complainant said he was later summoned to Hotel Yaduvanshi in Bhalukocha.

There, he alleged, some individuals allegedly brandished weapons in an attempt to instill fear. He said he managed to escape the location and save himself. The following day, he was reportedly stopped along the road and threatened again, with warnings of serious consequences if the ransom went unpaid.

Sufal Murmu has asked police to register a formal case, examine the call detail records (CDR) of the relevant mobile numbers, conduct a technical probe, and provide security to him and his family. On the other hand, Chandil police station in-charge Santan Kumar Tiwari said the force is examining the entire matter.

He added that providing personal security to every family member of every complainant is not feasible, but said necessary legal action would follow based on the complaint. In addition, past incidents in the region have seen similar extortion attempts linked to Naxal networks operating around Chandil and neighboring blocks.

Moreover, the district has previously reported cases where individuals impersonated banned outfits to extract money from local traders, according to past police records from the area. At present, the allegations in this case remain independently unverified. All eyes are now on the police probe to determine whether an actual Naxal outfit is behind the threats or whether someone has used the militant’s name as a cover for extortion.

The Maoist and Naxal presence in the wider Kolhan region has periodically resurfaced in past reports, with occasional sightings near Chandil and adjoining forested belts. Meanwhile, similar disputes involving intimidation over money have also been reported from other pockets of Seraikela district in the past.