Hyderabad: A 33-year-old man, who runs news Youtube channel, was arrested on Thursday by the Balapur police for allegedly blackmailing two real estate businessmen.
According to the police, the accused, identified as Salam Yafai, a resident of Errakunta, had worked with a media organization, Sach News channel for six years, but was removed from his job for alleged money extortion.
He then went on to create an unauthorized news channel, Ya-5 news on YouTube and started extorting money from people by blackmailing them on trivial issues, said the police.
Police further stated that Yafai approached two real estate businessmen and introduced himself as a reporter of Ya-5 news and started threatening them by saying that he would post news on social media branding them as land grabbers.
He blackmailed them with a video and extorted Rs. 85,000 from them and Rs 60,000 from other businessmen, said the police.
Even after receiving the amount, the accused continued to pressurize them for money, thus vexed with this, the victims lodged a complaint in the Balapur police station, after which he was arrested.