Reporter, lensman held for extortion

Chennai, Nov 30 (UNI) Police today arrested a reporter and a Photographer of a popular Tamil weekly for allegedly attempting to extort a sum of Rs 25,000 from an ex-serviceman at Kodumgaiyur suburb.

Police said the ex-serviceman, Narayanan had obtained a kidney from a broker in the area, to enable his wife to undergo a transplant. However, his wife died a few days back.

The reporter Annal alias M Jayaprakash and the photographer R Maran approached the exserviceman and blackmailed him alleging that they had evidence that he had murdered his wife and she did not die of kidney failure. They demanded Rs 25,000 from him, police said.

Police said the ex-serviceman paid them Rs 10,000 a couple of days back and asked them to come today for the balance amount.

Meanwhile, the ex-serviceman lodged a complaint with the police.

When the scribes came to collect their balance amount, police arrested them. They were later remanded to judicial custody.

UNI RV VV PK KN2109