BENGALURU: The Sadashivanagar police, which had arrested the input chief of a regional news channel, have produced him before the court and taken him into custody for four days. Hemanth Kashyap, a resident of Sahakaranagar, was working with Public TV for three years. He allegedly blackmailed Dr Ramana Rao (68), a resident of RMV Extension, demanding Rs 50 lakh.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (central) D Devaraju said, “The other accused, identified as Boopanakere Manjunath, input chief of Samaya news channel, and a cameraman identified as Murali, are at large. Efforts are on to nab them.”Kashyap first called Rao on March 5, telling him that he needed to talk about something important. Rao asked him to come to his clinic in Sadashivanagar. Introducing himself as a journalist in TV 9, Kashyap claimed to have a sex video involving Rao and a woman.
He said the CD was with five reporters, and demanded `10 lakh for each reporter, including him, for not telecasting the video. The police said Rao didn’t want to take any risks, so he agreed on a lower sum. Rao paid him `5 lakh. Then Manjunath visited Rao with Murali on Tuesday and blackmailed him over the same video. However, Rao rebuffed Manjunath.
According to the police, Kashyap then allegedly demanded more money from Rao, and the latter asked him to help him get rid of Manjunath. Kashyap said he would come again.Meanwhile, Rao approached Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, who directed the police to take up the case. A team of police officers in plainclothes then caught Kashyap red-handed. Devaraju said they are yet to verify whether the accused persons have any video footage. “We suspect it may be a fake edited video,” he said.
Kashyap, Manjunath and Murali have reportedly been dismissed from their respective companies.
The police said on Tuesday around 4.30 pm Boopanakere Manjunath visited the clinic with his cameraman Murali and blackmailed Rao, threatening to release the same video. This time, Rao got angry and told Manjunath that he had not done anything wrong and told him stop blackmailing him. The police said, Kashyap allegedly demanded more money from Rao. So Rao called Kshyap and told about Manjunath’s visit. He asked Kashyap to help him get rid of Manjunath and he is ready to pay him money. Kashyap told him he would meet him in his clinic.
Rao approached deputy chief minister G Parameshwara and explained about the demand for ransom from media persons. DCM called the police inspector of Sadashiva Nagar and directed him to take up the case and arrest the media persons involved. A team of officers went in plainclothes and waited for Kashyap, when he came around 6.30 pm, they caught him red-handed. Meanwhile, they have been reportedly dismissed from their respective companies.