Diamond trader shuts down business in Bihar after repeated extortion threats from minister, alleges Sushil Modi

BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi has alleged that Bihar Minister for Labour, Vijay Prakash had demanded extortion money from a noted Surat-based diamond trader and executive director of Shrenuj & Co, Vishal Doshi last year. He said that the diamond trader, who had opened a factory in Patna in 2013, was repeatedly harassed by the minister for extortion. Unable to pay the extortion amount and after continuous harassment, he closed down the business in Bihar and returned to Gujarat.

Vishal Doshi had opened a diamond factory in Patna's Patliputra industrial area in May 2013 which was inaugurated by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Modi has levelled charges that in order to extort huge amount of money, Vijay Prakash had personally raided the diamond trader's factory last year, alleging the factory was violating the labour laws. Incidentally, the matter came to light and soon Nitish Kumar learnt about it. As a result, Prakash had to withdraw but there was no respite for the diamond trader. The minister kept pressurising the diamond trader to cough extortion money failing which Doshi wound up his business and returned to Surat.

'MINISTER VISITED FACTORY TO THREATEN TRADER'

"Doshi had to return to Gujarat after he was threatened to pay extortion money to the minister. Prakash had personally gone to the factory to threaten the factory owner," alleged Sushil Modi.

The minister in the dock has admitted to having carried out a raid at the diamond factory but asserted that he had gone to check the veracity of the complaint he was receiving about labourers not getting wages.

"I had gone to the diamond factory after I received several complaints from labourers there that they were being exploited. My officials had also conducted several rounds of inspection at the factory. When I went there, I found out that the allegations were true," said Vijay Prakash.

TEJASWI YADAV QUESTIONS SUSHIL MODI'S CREDENTIALS

Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav, from whose party Prakash is a minister, has expressed ignorance over the matter. He, on the contrary, questioned the credentials of Sushil Modi for making the allegations.

"I have no information about the matter. If Sushil Modi has raised the issue, then it must be learnt that he never raises serious issues," said Tejaswi Yadav.

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