Bengaluru City Police on Monday arrested a 35-year-old former journalist for allegedly attempting to extort Rs 15 lakh from three police inspectors in connection with a recent high-profile drug seizure in Karnataka.
The accused has been identified as Sharath Sharma Kalagaru, a resident of Windsor Layout, Bengaluru. Police said the extortion attempt was linked to a major narcotics seizure conducted jointly by Maharashtra’s Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), Bengaluru City Police, and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
In the same case, police have also booked the owner of BTV Kannada, a regional news channel, along with one of its reporters, for their alleged involvement in the extortion bid.
Investigators stated that the accused allegedly threatened to malign the police inspectors by linking them to the drug seizure unless the demanded amount was paid. Further investigation is underway to determine the extent of involvement of all the accused and to examine communication records.
