FIR filed against journalist in extortion case at Paloncha in Kothagudem

A vernacular journalist in Paloncha, Kothagudem district, has been booked for allegedly extorting a local businessman. The complainant, Nalla Suresh Reddy, accused the reporter of publishing false news to damage his reputation and demanding large sums of money under threats.

Kothagudem: Paloncha police in the district have registered an FIR against a vernacular journalist on charges of extorting a businessman of Paloncha.

According to Paloncha Town SI I Jeevan Raju, the complainant Nalla Suresh Reddy lodged a petition with the police on November 16 stating that the accused, Gummadivelli Venkata Narasimha Rao was repeatedly publishing false news against him and making baseless allegations. The complaint noted that by publishing fabricated news reports in a news daily, Vijaya Kranthi, the reporter had caused serious damage to his reputation, business, service activities and temple construction works.

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The reporter allegedly contacted Suresh Reddy’s worker, Guguloth Babulal and later his brother Ramakrishna Reddy, demanding money from the complainant and threatening with dire consequences, including threats to kill Suresh Reddy if he did not pay the money. The reporter was said to have demanded Rs 15 lakh initially, later reducing it to Rs 6 lakh. On November 7, the complainant’s brother Ramakrishna Reddy met the reporter at his house in Nava Bharat area and paid him Rs 1 lakh.

He continued to pressure them for a further amount and sent bank account numbers through WhatsApp, due to which again on November 15, an amount of Rs 50,000 was transferred to the bank account given by the accused.

As the accused continued pressuring them for the remaining Rs 4.5 lakh, the complainant approached the police requesting authorities to take action against Narasimha Rao. Based on the complaint, a case under Section 308(5) (extortion) of BNS was registered against the accused, the SI added.