Bangalore, July 22: VM Giri, unit president of a pro-Kannada organisation Rakshana Vedike and editor of a tabloid, held for extorting money from prostitutes
The K S Layout police arrested a gang of four led by kingpin VM Giri, the unit president of Rakshana Vedike, a pro-Kannada organisation and editor-publisher of a fortnightly Kannada tabloid Real Bangalore.
The police have charged Giri and his accomplices, Venkatesh (28) and Rajendra (26), with blackmailing prostitutes and extorting money from them. The police continue to look for Harish, yet another member of the gang.
The racket was exposed when the gang targetted Hemanth S, the employee of an Internet parlour, accusing him of running a prostitution racket.
The gang allegedly abducted Hemanth, took him to an isolated spot and demanded Rs 25,000 ransom at gunpoint.
When Hemanth expressed his inability to pay, the gang allegedly snatched his mobile phone and took the Rs 2,500 he had on him before letting him go. Hemanth complained to the police.
Following the arrest of the gang members and their subsequent interrogation, it emerged that the gang had been extorting money in this manner for some time now.
K S Layout Police Sub-Inspector R Jagadish said Giri would gather information on the brothels and prostitution rackets in and around the city.
“Giri would approach the brothels and tell them he was a media person. He would assure them that he would neither publish the report nor inform the police if they paid up,” said Jagadish.
Giri allegedly forced Hemanth to pawn his wife’s valuables costing Rs 31,000, and asked him to pay more if he did not want more trouble.
“Giri began the tabloid to extort money. A majority of his victims were involved in immoral activities and did not lodge a complaint,” said Jagadish, adding that the weapon recovered from Giri.
–Agencies–