In many cases, the terrified bussinessmen have crossed the border into India to pay the extortionists so that they don´t carry out their threat of bomb attacks on their business or private properties.[break]
“Since the past few months the extortionists have been routinely making phone calls to demand money for their political party and threaten bomb attack if their demands are not fulfilled,” said Amar Khadka, president of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Bardiya. “They even targeted the police on Monday.”
According to him, Madhesh Mukti Morcha (MMM) is one of such groups actively involved in extorting businessmen. They demand as much as Rs 500,000 from each businessman, Khadka said.
“A man who identified himself as Ranbir Singh had called a journalist from mobile no 98045041769 and claimed that his group had placed a bomb targeting police. Sometimes they use Indian cell phones and sometime Nepali,” he said.
They have been extorting businessmen for the last six months, said a businessman requesting anonymity. "But police has not made even a single arrest so far,” he said.
The police, however, find the businessmen at fault for quietly submitting to threats from criminals. “Instead of informing the police, the businessmen quietly pay the extortionists. In such a situation, it is very difficult for us to track the criminals," SP Ram Kripal Sah said.
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