Journalist and two others arrested in Greater Noida for extorting money using fake news

In a significant development in Greater Noida, journalist Pankaj Parashar and two others were arrested for allegedly running an extortion racket by spreading fake news. According to the police, the trio was using false information to threaten individuals and demand money. These arrests are part of a broader investigation into a scrap mafia operation, where the gang was reportedly extorting money from people by threatening them with fabricated news stories.
The Arrest and Confiscated Goods
Greater Noida police and the CRTs (Crime Response Team) caught Parashar, Dev Sharma, and Avadhesh Sisodia on November 8, 2024. The authorities recovered ₹63,000 in cash, two luxury cars, and important documents that connect the suspects to Ravi Kana, who is accused of being the leader of a scrap mafia gang. Ravi Kana is in jail, but Parashar and his associates were working under him, according to the police.
The gang allegedly used Kana's name to threaten the victims, threatening to publish false and damaging stories about them on news portals unless they paid money. In one case, the gang demanded money from a person named Manoj Kumar under the pretext of an interview, threatening to ruin his reputation if he refused.
Investigation and Evidence
Investigation revealed that the gang was using and operating through different bank accounts directly related to the names of Ravi Kana, where numerous transaction records indicated dealings of ill-gotten money, while police evidence showed records of telephone calls among the accused individuals with the connections of Kana's group members. These are funds they would have been applying for the promotion of their racketeering venture.
The police have termed this case as a breakthrough in uncovering how fake news is being exploited for extortion, and investigations are ongoing to identify other possible accomplices and transactions related to this racket.