Man claiming to be scribe held for blackmailing SI in Etawah

KANPUR:A man was arrested for allegedly blackmailing a police sub-inspector over a video clip in Etawah district on Friday. Sanat Tiwari, who claims himself to be a journalist, had allegedly blackmailed SI Subodh Sahai with a video clip threatening to make it viral on social media if he did not pay him Rs 50,000.
According to police, when Sahai refused to pay him the money, Tiwari allegedly made the video clip viral on social media platforms on June 18.“Sahai later brought the matter to the knowledge of SSP Etawah Akash Tomar and lodged a complaint with the Civil Lines police on June 18,” police said.
Subsequently, a probe was ordered by the SSP.
“It came to fore that Tiwari had procured a video clip of a police raid at a hotel in the city on March 13 2020, wherein Sahai along with other police personnel was conducting an investigation of the hotel premises in search of criminals and in the process checking DVR (digital video recorder) of CCTV cameras installed there. Tiwari, somehow procured the video clip of police raid from and tried to blackmail the SI and extort Rs 50,000 from him. When the SI refused, Tiwari projected it as theft and loot by Sahai and his team members and made the video footage viral on social media platforms on June 18,” said the SSP.
Acting on a tip off, police on June 19 arrested Tiwari from near ITI crossing of the city.
“An FIR under section 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 179 (refusing to answer public servant authorised to question), 388 (extortion by threat of accusation of an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life, etc.), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 3 Epidemic Act, 51/57 Disaster Management Act and 74 IT Act has been lodged at Civil Lines police station in this regard,” said the SSP.
The police have also recovered a mobile phone, three mikes and three identity cards of separate news channels, from Tiwari’s possession.