A former journalist in Bengaluru has been booked for allegedly blackmailing and trying to extort Rs 25 lakh from a doctor, Deccan Herald reported.
According to the report, the Nelamangala police have opened a case against Kiran Shanbhag, who has worked with renowned Kannada news channel TV9 Kannada, according to his Facebook profile.
The case comes after a complaint by Dr AV Srinivasan, who is also the managing trustee of Sri Paripoorna Sanathana Charitable Trust. Dr Srinivasan told Deccan Herald that he has built his hospital via donations.
According to police, the two men had met last November when Dr Srinivasan was busy with his hospital inauguration. Shanbhag had reportedly told the doctor about some obscene content about him and threatened to broadcast it on the news channel a day before the inauguration if he did not pay the Rs 25 lakh amount.
Fearing the damage, the doctor arranged for the money and gave it to Shanbhag.
Shanbhag then contacted the doctor a few days ago and to demand a donation for the medical treatment to the members of the press club.
This was when Dr Srinivasan approached the police and filed a complaint on 22 April. Shabhang is yet to be arrested.
(With inputs from Deccan Herald.)