Journalism is no more a noble profession, thanks to the entry of land grabbers, politicians, thieves, criminals and all kinds of crooks. Three persons of a Telugu news channel (Studio 9), including its Managing Director Tavakam Shiva Kumar (34 years), were arrested by Jubilee Hills Police for extorting money from brothel organizers and customers by using ‘media power’ in the form of fake sting operations.

The abduction of a Tollywood actor Kale Srinivas by this gang and his escape from their clutches unearthed this crime. Besides these rogue media men, police arrested eight more persons and seized Rs.74,000 in cash and a handy camera, the TV channel’s news gun mike, A Ford Fiesta Car, A Renault Lodgy Van, a gold chain and 13 mobile phones from them. Police also recovered a Bangladesh Passport bearing No. BH0719842 in the name of Aktar Mst Khadiza.

The mastermind of the entire operation, Mohammed Jaleel (28 years), who has been shown as Accused No-1 by police, works in Shiva Kumar’s channel as a crime reporter. A cameraman in the same channel Guniganti Raju (26 years) is A-3, while a Home Guard deputed with the CID, Earla Jagadeeshwar Reddy (27 years), who colluded with A-1 to make easy money, has been labeled as A-2. The Channel MD, who gave a nod to carry out this nasty trick to make money to meet the losses his channel incurred, is A-4 in this case.

West Zone Deputy Commissioner of Police A. Venkateswar Rao revealed that Jaleel, Raju and Jagadeeshwar hatched a plan to extort money from the brothel house organisers and their customers. The Home Guard, posing as a CID officer and the other accused persons as media persons, had gone to the residence of Srinivas and threatened him that they had enough clues to prove him guilty. When he pleaded his innocence, they kidnapped him and drove across the city.

“They then contacted the sex workers and threatened them with the uploading of their profiles online and carried out a fake sting operation at the residence of Srinivas and extorted Rs 84,000 cash and a gold chain. They gave Rs 20,000 to Shiva Kumar,” the DCP said. Srinivas reportedly managed to escape from the gang and lodged a complaint with Jubilee Hills Police.

The names and details of accused persons as follows:

A1] Mohammed Jaleel S/o. Md. Yakub Ali, aged. 28 yrs, Occ. Crime Reporter, Studio 9 News Channel (Habsiguda), R/o. Chenna Reddy Nagar, Amberpet, Hyderabad, N/o. Gundala (V & M), Nalgonda Dist.

A2] Earla Jagadeeshwar Reddy S/o. Late. E. Sai Reddy, aged. 27 yrs, Occ. Home Guard (HG-1972 of CID – MT Section) R/o. Sri Lakshmi Nilayam, near Vidyuth Nagar Welfare Association, Vidyuth Nagar Colony, Dilshuknagar, Hyderabad.

A3] Guniganti Raju S/o. G. Narsinga Rao, aged. 26 yrs, Occ. Cameraman at Studio 9, R/o. near New Madhu High School, Parsigutta, Hyderabad, N/o. Thatikonda (V), Station Ghanpur (M), Warangal Dist.

A4] Tavakam Shiva Kumar S/o. T. Bikshapathi, aged. 34 yrs, Occ. Business (MD of Studio 9 TV Channel), R/o. behind Orange Super market, near Sai Baba Temple, Budda Nagar, Road No. 7, Boduppal, R. R. Dist., N/o. Hanumakonda, Warangal Dist., O/o. Habsiguda X roads, beside Suprabath Hotel, Hyderabad.

A5] Turpu Sanjeeva Reddy @ Sanjay S/o. T. Malla Reddy, aged. 25 yrs, Occ. Driver, R/o. Shiva Nagar, Puranapool, Hyderabad, N/o. Bogaram (V), Kozgi (M), Kodangal Taluka, Mahaboobnagar Dist.

A6] Nakara Kanti Madhu S/o. N. Muthaiah, aged. 35 yrs, Occ. Car Driver of Ola Cab, R/o. Hasmanghat, Malakpet, near TV Tower, Hyderabad,

A7] Shaik Saleem S/o. Abdul Nabi, aged. 32 yrs, Occ. Field Officer in Security Office, R/o. New Patel Nagar, Ambedkar, Hyderabad, N/o. Market Area, Tenali, Guntur Dist.

A8] Laxmi Durga

A9] Priya (A8 and A9 are absconding)

A10] Smt. Guduru Vijaya Durga W/o. Dana Krishna, aged. 23 yrs, Occ. Saree worker, N/o. Velupuri (V), Tanuku (M), Bhimavaram, West Godavari Dist.

A11] Smt. Vendrapathi Gowri W/o. V. Venkatweshwar Rao @ Venky, aged. 35 yrs, Occ. Tailoring Work, R/o. Kodavalli Puntha, Bhimavaram Raod, Hundi Mandal, West Godavari Dist.,

A12] Smt. Vendra Raji W/o. V. Govind, aged. 32 yrs, Occ. Labor, R/o. Kalabhavani Veedhi, Bhimavaram, West Godavari Dist.

A13] Smt. Gotte Vijaya @ Vijju W/o. G. Narayana, aged. 25 yrs, Occ. Sales girl, R/o. Bhimavaram Raod, Hundi Mandal, West Godavari Dist., (accused A1 to A7, and A10 to A13 arrested on 08-06-2016)