The Barrackpore realtor whose car was sprayed with bullets a fortnight ago alleged on Saturday that he has been receiving threat calls from two suspected extortionists.

The first is Subodh Singh, a Bihar-based gangster lodged in Patna’s Beur jail.

Singh had called within an hour of bullets being sprayed on Ajay Mandal’s Volvo S-90 on June 15. He was with police officers when he got the call. He called once again later.

The second is Anish Thakur. A native of Bihar’s Vaishali, Thakur was arrested in August 2021 for his alleged involvement in the 2020 murder of BJP youth leader Manish Shukla in Titagarh on Calcutta’s northern outskirts.

Mandal, who runs several businesses, said Thakur called him around 8pm on June 26.

Singh called about an hour later, he said.

“Anish asked me to meet him the next day at the Barrackpore court where he was scheduled to be produced. ‘Kal hamara court ka date hain (My court production is scheduled tomorrow). Aap court mein aakey bhet kijiye (You meet me at the court),’ he said,” Mandal told The Telegraph.

Mandal, who had received extortion calls from Singh before the June 15 attack and even after, said it was nerve-wracking to receive the calls even after police provided him with two security guards.

“I told Anish that Subodh has been calling me up. Now you are doing the same. What am I supposed to do? I have police security. I’m just fed up,” Mandal said.

An alleged sharpshooter, Thakur was arrested in Chennai a year after his name surfaced during the probe into Shukla’s murder. He is now in Dum Dum correctional home.

Senior police officers said when a criminal in judicial custody wants to extort money he would usually ask the victim to meet him in court during his production.

Mandal did not meet Thakur at Barrackpore court.

The same night (June 26), almost an hour after Thakur’s call, Mandal said he received a call from Singh.

“What happened chacha? You now have security cover and have forgotten us?” Suobodh said over the phone, Mandal recalled. “There was no mention of any amount. But obviously, he wants money or why would he call me up.”

Mandal said only Subodh had once told him that around ₹2 crore was required for the release of some of his gang members lodged in jail. But he did not spell out any figure because he wanted Mandal to lead a syndicate that would control the real estate market around parts of Sodepur, Barrackpore and its adjoining areas.

A day after receiving the calls Mandal said he met the police commissioner of Barrackpore. “I asked him do I take sannyas from business now? What do I do?” Mandal said.

Barrackpore police commissioner Alok Rajoria said: “Yes, he (Mandal) has received calls. We are investigating the matter.”

Since the June 15 attack at the busy Rathtala crossing on BT Road, Mandal said he has cut down on his trips to different construction sites.