Two arrested for bid to extort money from agricultural officer in Asifabad
Two individuals posing as journalists were arrested in Asifabad, India, for attempting to extort money from an agricultural officer. The suspects allegedly used social media to intimidate the officer after failing to force the cancellation of a trader's license.
Why it matters
It underscores issues of corruption and the misuse of media credentials to harass public officials.
Two persons, who reportedly identified themselves as journalists, were arrested by Asifabad police on charges of intimidating an agricultural officer and attempting to extort money from him.
The arrested persons were identified as 30-year-old B. Devender and D. Suresh, both natives of Kumram Bheem Asifabad district and currently residing at L.B. Nagar in Hyderabad, police said.
The arrests followed a complaint lodged by the agricultural officer, based on which the police registered a case against the duo.
According to the police, the first accused allegedly brought pressure on the officer to get the licence of a trader cancelled in an attempt to settle a personal dispute with the trader. However, an inquiry by the concerned officials found that the trader possessed a valid licence and the required documents.
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