Millionaire denies kidnapping threat

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It was a Slumdog Millionaire moment when Sushil Kumar, a data entry operator from Motihari, Bihar hit the jackpot of `5 crore in Kaun Banega Crorepati. But little did he know that his rags to riches swing of fortune could also be an invitation to trouble.
Reports of Sushil and his family getting extortion and kidnapping threats from unnotified sources have been doing the rounds recently. Sushil says the news has spread like wildfire. “I’ve been getting constant calls from people to check if I’m fine,” says Sushil, who was on his way to Delhi to attend a programme organised by The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), when we called him to check if the reports about him getting threats are true.
He denies the reports and clarifies that everyone in Bihar has been really warm to him. “I come from a part of the country where crime has prevailed for very long. Hence, people won’t take a minute to float such news. It brings a bad name to my hometown and state,” he says, adding that in the last five-six years there has been remarkable progress and improvement in Bihar. “It’s not the same as it used to be. The crime rate has really gone down after Nitish Kumar took over as the chief minister. We are developing as a nation,” he says.
Sushil believes that people should make a concerted effort to work towards progress. he is supporting his wife in her decision to study further. She is a graduate in History. “We both want to study more. I want to prepare for the Civil Services while she wants to pursue her post-graduation in History. And in my opinion, marriage shouldn’t come as a hindrance for any of us,” says Sushil, whose family is supporting both of them to study further.
Coming from a place where literacy rate of girls has been quite dismal, Sushil wants to set an example by advocating higher studies for women. “Only household chores are not important. A girl has every right to dream big too,” he says.
Sushil’s plan to re-build his home and other goals that he spoke about on the show, are on hold for the time being as he hasn’t yet received the winning amount. He says the delay is because of his not having a PAN card. But while waiting for the prize money, he has got time to plan proper investments. “Two months down the line, I would have everything chalked out,” he concludes.