Jalna, Sept 23 (PTI) Police on Wednesday arrested two persons, who identified themselves as journalists and operated a social media news channel, for allegedly threatening to defame a private hospital and extorting Rs 10,000 from it in Maharashtra’s Jalna, officials said.
The accused, identified as Nikita Kale and Sachin Sarve, are residents of Jalna.
According to a complaint lodged by Dr Baliram Bagal of Sanjivani Multispeciality Hospital on the Ambad-Mantha bypass road, a patient was admitted to the hospital from August 11 to 15 for treatment.
The patient was admitted under the Ayushman Bharat and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana schemes. The patient’s wife and a relative associated with the health scheme had given a written statement that they had not incurred any expenditure for the treatment, the complaint stated.
On September 15, Bagal received a message from an unknown mobile number. As the number was unfamiliar, he did not respond. The following day, he allegedly came across a social media post accusing the hospital of taking money from patients. The post appeared to be associated with “N K News”, according to the complaint.
When Bagal contacted the number, a woman allegedly identified herself as Nikita Kale and claimed to be a journalist. She allegedly visited the hospital along with Sarve and told Bagal that they had received a complaint against the hospital.
Kale allegedly claimed that she had evidence against the hospital and threatened to make it viral. She also threatened to approach the administration, which would lead to criminal action against the hospital for alleged fraud and cheating, the complaint stated.
The hospital’s HR manager allegedly paid Rs 10,000 to prevent its defamation. The accused subsequently left the spot and allegedly deleted the social media post.
Based on the complaint, Kadeem Jalna police arrested Kale and Sarve and launched an investigation.
The police registered a case under 308 (2) extortion, 356 (2) defamation, 351(2) criminal intimidation and others sections. PTI COR NP
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