Four Yamunanagar-based journalists, including a woman were arrested for trying to extort ₹2 lakh from the district food and supplies controller, Rajesh Kumar Arya.
Arya said, “On April 18, three journalists stopped my vehicle near Radaur-Sangipur nakkah. They asked the police to check my vehicle and started making videos, but Radaur SHO allowed me to go after I produced valid documents.” He said the scribes later came to his office and threatened to circulate the video on social media if he didn’t give them the money.
On Arya’s complaint, an FIR was registered under sections 120B and 384 of the IPC and the scribes and the woman were arrested on Wednesday evening.
CAUGHT RED-HANDED
Police laid a trap and caught them red-handed while accepting money. Station in-charge Kamaldeep Rana said, “Our investigating officer gave signed notes worth ₹50,000 to the district food and supplies controller. The money was received by the accused and we caught them at his office along with the same currency notes given by the probing officer. At that time, four people, including a woman, were arrested and presented in a court on Thursday. The woman was granted bail, while the three men were sent to the judicial custody.”
An official from district information and public relations officer said of these four, two are accredited journalists with the government of Haryana, while all of them are working with various news outlets.