Digital news channel owner held for 'blackmailing, extorting' money from advocate in Delhi

NEW DELHI: The owner of a digital news channel has been arrested for allegedly blackmailing and extorting money from an advocate in south Delhi's Greater Kailash area, police said on Thursday.

The accused has been identified as Afsar Ali (37), a resident of Noida Sector-78, they said.

Police said the advocate, a resident of Greater Kailash, lodged a complaint where he alleged that some people, on behalf of the channel, conducted a sting operation on him.

They threatened to telecast the recording if he failed to pay Rs 5 crore to them.

The advocate also told the police that these people also visited his office and tried to get details about his family members, a senior police officer said.

A case was registered at Greater Kailash police station and investigation was taken up, the officer said.

"During investigation, Ali was arrested.

It was revealed that he is running a digital news channel based out of Noida," Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Atul Kumar Thakur said.

The accused would identify prospective targets on the basis of their lavish lifestyle and then pose as buyers of big farmhouse land etc.

while conducting sting operations.

They would then approach the victims and ask them to pay up, failing which they would threaten to air the recording, police said.

Ali has various previous involvements of theft and cheating in Delhi and UP, they added.