Belagavi: Malmaruti police have arrested three persons posing as journalists for allegedly blackmailing a woman government officer by secretly recording her private videos using hidden cameras. The accused have been remanded to judicial custody.
Police Commissioner Bhushan Borse disclosed details of the case at a press conference held on Thursday morning. According to police, the accused had installed hidden cameras inside the officer’s residence, recorded her private moments, and attempted to extort money by threatening to release the videos.
The arrested accused have been identified as Sameer Nisar Ahmed Sheikh (32) of Jalal Galli, Gokak; Abdul Rashid Makandar (51) of Gokak; and Mohammad Balekundri (43) of Ghataprabha, Gokak. Police seized three Android mobile phones, a 64 GB pen drive, six hidden cameras, two memory cards, and an Innova car from their possession.
Police said the accused initially demanded ₹1 crore and pressured the officer to immediately pay ₹50 lakh. Following the victim’s complaint at Malmaruti police station, a special team led by CPI B.R. Gaddekar arrested the trio. Police also revealed that the accused attempted to influence the system to prevent registration of the case, but officers acted firmly without yielding to pressure.
Commissioner Borse said the case is being probed from all angles and did not rule out the possibility of a larger blackmail racket. “Strict action will be taken. We are committed to curbing such fake journalist gangs,” he said.