Three former TV journalists held for kidnap and extortion

HYDERABAD: Three persons, all former journalists who worked with reputed channels, were arrested by Cyberabad police on Thursday for allegedly trying to extort Rs 10 lakh by blackmailing, confining and thrashing a realtor by posing as TV journalists.

The arrested include a woman while the main accused is absconding. Police said a former chief executive officer of HYTV channel Ram Mohan, former sub-editor in another channel, Bhavani and Shaik Sai Babu, former reporter in the channel who had conducted some sting operations, allegedly demanded Rs 10 lakh from N Ashok, proprietor of Vaishnavi Infrastructures Proprietor, by blackmailing him citing SMSes received by Bhavani from Ashok's mobile.

The accused are- Bhavani, resident of Olian Chambers, Gandhinagar, Shaik Sai Babu, resident of Sri Tirumala House, Seetaphalmandi and Rama Mohan Rao, who claimed to be CEO of HYTV channel, who is still absconding.

A few months back, Bhavani joined as business promoter under N Ashok with help of another friend Arun Kumar Pandu. After joining as promoter, she became close to the realtor and both used to talk over cell phones and sending SMSes. It is alleged after some days, Bhavani started enquiring about assets of the realtor on the pretext of bringing prospective buyers.

Bhavani even proposed marriage with the realtor but he refused. The accused then developed a grudge against the realtor and started false propaganda by procuring mobile numbers of customers of the realtor and spreading rumors the realtor was having illicit affairs with customers.

Raidurgam inspector M Ravi Chandan Reddy said, 'Bhavani went to call Ashok's friends and told them he was having illicit affair with their wives.

Ashok who kept silent for several months challenged her to do to whatever she could. On November 4, Ram Mohan, Shaik Sai Babu, Bhavani went to Ashok's residence in Manikonda and introduced themselves as reporters representing various media organisations and started to embarrass him by showing SMSes received by Bhavani from Ashok's mobile.'

Subsequently Ashok was taken to Abids, where Ram Mohan has an office and beaten up. But Ashok managed to escape from the place.

Based on complaint lodged by Ashok, the accused were arrested by Raidurgam police under Sections 448 (house-trespass), 342 (wrongful confinement), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of the IPC.