Central Crime Branch officials have arrested a leader of a local organisation and his associate, an RTI activist, for allegedly running an extortion racket. According to the police, the accused Lion Balakrishna, who claims to be the head of the Dalit Samrakshana Samiti, and his activist-friend Dadapeer Halageri Mohammed Isaq would get information on building violations in and around the city via RTI applications and use it to threaten and blackmail building owners and realtors. “Balakrishna is also a moneylender and used to give loans to at high rates of interest,” the police added.

The CCB began investigating the duo after an HAL resident filed a police complaint claiming that the duo had cheated him of ₹5 lakh after they promised him a BDA site. Based on the complaint, the police arrested Balakrishna and recovered an air gun, ₹1.2 lakh in cash, and property documents from his house on Thursday.

Balakrishna allegedly confessed that he was running an extortion racket with the help of Isaq, who hails from Hubballi. The men have been booked on charges of cheating, extortion, and blackmail. They have been remanded in judicial custody.