Khargone (MP), March 19 Gunshots were fired at the house of a trader in Khargone district, Madhya Pradesh, and the attackers later demanded Rs 10 crore, while a social media post claimed they had links to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, an official said on Thursday.
The incident took place on Monday at Bhilgaon, under the jurisdiction of the Kasrawad police station, about 50 km from the district headquarters. Security has been deployed at the residence of the trader, Dilip Rathore, he said.
The family was in Indore at the time, the official said.
District Superintendent of Police (SP) Ravindra Verma said a case was registered based on a complaint by Dilip's son Satyendra on Wednesday. He confirmed that a firing incident took place and said police are investigating all angles.
In his complaint, Satyendra said that he and his father subsequently received threats through WhatsApp calls and voice notes from unknown persons. The accused allegedly sent a video of the firing and demanded Rs 10 crore, threatening to blow up the house.
A voice call received on Tuesday threatened to kill the entire family and claimed that the firing was carried out on Monday night.
Satyendra told the police that multiple calls were received from foreign numbers on Wednesday, but the trader's family ignored those, Verma added.
After receiving the video, the trader's family checked CCTV footage, which showed three masked men on a motorcycle opening fire at the house, the official said.
Meanwhile, a social media post by persons identifying themselves as "Harry Boxer" and "Arju Bishnoi" claimed responsibility for the firing and said the attackers had links with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's crime syndicate. The post issued further threats to the trader and his family.
Police said they were verifying the claims made in the social media post and probing possible links to a similar threat reported recently in the Ashok Nagar district.
Dilip Rathore said he is currently out of station, adding that his family members are scared. He declined to comment further.
