Ghaziabad (UP): Senior journalist Vinod
Verma was arrested early this morning from his residence here
by the Chhattisgarh Police over charges of extortion, police
said.
Verma, who earlier worked with BBC Hindi service, was
picked at 3.30 am from Mahagun Mansion Apartments, Vaibhav
Khand, Indirapuram by a team of Chhattisgarh Police with the
help of Ghaziabad Police, Senior Superintendent of Police
H N Singh said.
A case of blackmail and extortion has been registered
against the scribe at Pandri police station in Raipur district
of Chhattisgarh, he said.
"A huge quantity of CDs has been seized from the
journalist's house. We are scrutinising the material to check
whether there is any link to sex scandal involving higher-
ups," Singh said.
As the news of the arrest of the former BBC and Amar
Ujala journalist spread, many senior journalists from
electronic and print media gathered outside the police station
here.
AAP leader and former journalist Ashutosh termed the
development an "attack on the press".
In a tweet to the Uttar Pradesh Police, the
journalist-turned-politician said Verma was arrested in a
"mysterious" way and the move amounted to attack on press
freedom.
The Chhattisgarh Police will produce the scribe in a
court here later in the day, the SSP added.
