Fake journalists arrested for assault and extortion in Chamarajanagar

Chamarajanagar: The menace of fake journalists is on the rise in border district Chamarajanagar, with an incident of extortion and brutal assault reported from near Y K Mole in Yelandur taluk.

Three individuals posing as journalists allegedly demanded lakhs of rupees from a roadwork supervisor and attacked him when he refused to pay. The police have arrested all three accused in connection with the case.

According to the police, road widening and repair work is currently underway on the Yelandur–B R Hills stretch. Taking advantage of the situation, three accused identified as Puneeth, Shekhar and Purushotham approached Cheluvaraj, a mason and supervisor associated with the project, claiming to be journalists.

They accused the contractor of executing substandard work and allegedly threatened to expose the issue unless a sum of ₹2.5 lakh was paid to them.

The accused reportedly introduced themselves as journalists affiliated with a little-known YouTube channel, using the tag of “media” to intimidate those involved in the project. They allegedly warned Cheluvaraj that the roadwork would not be allowed to continue unless their monetary demand was met.

When Cheluvaraj told them that he was only a mason and had no authority over payments, and advised them to approach the contractor or the concerned engineer, the accused allegedly lost their temper. Police said the trio assaulted Cheluvaraj brutally and fled the scene, leaving him seriously injured.

Following the incident, Cheluvaraj lodged a complaint at the Yelandur police station. Acting swiftly, the police registered a case and launched an investigation. Based on preliminary evidence and statements, the police identified the suspects and arrested all three fake journalists.

Police officials stated that the accused had no valid press credentials and were misusing the label of journalism to extort money and threaten people involved in public works. After being produced before the court, the accused were remanded to judicial custody.

The incident has raised serious concerns about the growing misuse of social media platforms and fake YouTube channels to impersonate journalists and carry out illegal activities.

Local residents and contractors have urged the authorities to strictly verify media credentials and take firm action against such elements to protect the credibility of genuine journalists and ensure smooth execution of development works.

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