Senior journalist in police net for defrauding media group

New Delhi, Nov 4 (UNI) In a bizarre tale of a 'crime reporter' turning 'criminal', a senior journalist and former editor of a fortnightly was arrested by the police for allegedly cheating the company of several lakhs of rupees.

Alok Tomar, former Editor of 'S1' Magazine, was arrested last night from Palam Airport here on arrival from Raipur, Joint Commissioner (Special Cell) Karnal Singh told UNI.

''He was arrested in a cheating case under Section 420.'' DCP (Special Cell) Alok Kumar said Tomar had transferred the cheque worth 3.68 lakh, sent by the DAVP Bhopal for the magazine advertisement and which was in the name of 'Senior India Group', to another account and then encashed it.

''This was the main issue for which he was arrested.'' However, there are other issues for which the arrest was made, he added.

Tomar, who was terminated from the magazine last February on the Danish cartoon issue where Prophet Mohammad was shown in poor light, was arrested on the disclosures made by his associate Bharat Singh Rawat in connection with a cheating case, according to 'S1' Group Chief Editor S N Vinod.

''Rawat, a former Creative Editor with 'S1' Magazine, was arrested on November 1 following an FIR made by the management of 'S1' Group against Alok Tomar at the C R Park police station in South Delhi on October 12 for duping the firm of Rs 3.68 lakh by pilfering its cheque sent by the Department of Audio-Visual Publicity in Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh).'' He confessed to the crime and spilled the beans on the involvement of Tomar in the cheating, saying it was at his behest that he did the forgery, said Mr Vinod.

''The case later, due to slow progress, was transferred to the Special Cell by the Police Commissioner.'' Tomar had, in August last, collected the cheque from DAVP Bhopal for two advertisements published in the fortnightly magazine and got it encashed through the Greater Kailash branch of State Bank of Indore here by showing B S Rawat as the proprieter of the magazine.

Meanwhile, Tomar was today remanded in three-day police custody by Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Seema Maini.

Alok Tomar, who had worked with several newspapers, started his career as a 'crime reporter'.

UNI AN PK RN2005