Ghaziabad Oct 27 (IANS) A senior journalist Vinod Verma was arrested here early on Friday on charges of allegedly blackmailing a BJP leader in Chhattisgarh police said. Verma denied the charge and said he was being framed.
The Chhattisgarh Police raided the journalist s residence at Indirapuram along with the Uttar Pradesh Police and recovered 500 compact discs (CDs) a pen drive and Rs 200 000 in cash a police officer here said.
Inspector Sushil Dubey said the Chhattisgarh Police reached the police station "and sought our help to arrest the journalist in a case.
"They told us that a case under sections 384 and 506 of IPC (Indian Penal Code) was registered against the journalist on the complaint of Prakash Bajaj a BJP leader in Raipur district " Dubey said.
The complainant alleged that Verma had threatened to expose his private life and that the journalist possessed a sex tape which he was using to blackmail him.
"We assisted the (Chhattisgarh) Police. Our role was limited " Dubey told IANS.
As he was being taken away Verma told fellow journalists that he was being framed. "I am being framed. I have nothing to do with the CDs."
--IANS
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