Pune Journalist Booked Over ₹10 Lakh Extortion Allegation

Pune: A journalist has been booked by Shivajinagar police for allegedly threatening a railway police inspector with an adverse news report and demanding ₹10 lakh to stop its publication.

The accused has been identified as Muzzamil Shaikh, reportedly associated with the digital news channel Times of Maharashtra. The complaint was filed by a reserved police inspector attached to the Khadki railway police unit.

According to the complaint, the incident occurred on August 4. Shaikh allegedly called the inspector to a hotel in Shivajinagar and showed him photographs related to a drill conducted at the railway police headquarters.

Police said the journalist allegedly warned the officer that he would publish a report based on the photographs, which could result in departmental action and affect his job. He then allegedly demanded ₹10 lakh in return for not pursuing the matter.

The inspector reportedly refused to make the payment. Police allege that Shaikh later sent a proposed headline to the officer on WhatsApp, allegedly to put further pressure on him.

The complaint further states that a report was subsequently published against the inspector, which he claimed was false and had damaged his reputation. Police are investigating the allegations and the circumstances surrounding the publication.

A case has been registered under Sections 308(2), 224, 351(2) and 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Further investigation is underway.