Scribe arrested on charges of blackmail, extortion

Srinagar, Jul 22: The Jammu and Kashmir police has arrested a local scribe on charges of extortion and blackmail following a complaint by a CRPF officer in north Kashmir's Baramulla district.

Showkat Maqbool Moon, a correspondent with a local news agency, was caught red-handed yesterday while accepting Rs 5,000 from a CRPF officer near a petrol pump in Sheeri, 63 km from here, a police spokesman said today.

Assistant Commandant CRPF Harsh Tripathi, in his written complaint, stated that Moon was repeatedly making telephonic threats to him saying he would report the alleged high-handedness of CRPF personnel in Baramulla town, the spokesman said.

Moon threatened Tripathi that he would connect his name to an incident on July 19, when CRPF personnel allegedly beat up people while patrolling, if he failed to pay him Rs 30,000, he said. A trap was laid and the accused was caught, said officials, adding a case has been registered.

PTI