Extortion Case: Gauhati High Court Denies Pre-Arrest Bail to Reporter Accused of Extorting Money from Doctor
(Judicial Quest News Network)
The Gauhati High Court refused to grant anticipatory bail to a press reporter accused threatening the District Immunization Officer of Assam’s Dibrugarh.
The reporter is accused of black-mailing the Doctor by threatening to publish an adverse news report, stating that a person was administered two COVID-19 vaccine doses on the same day instead of one, if the latter failed to pay money to him.
The reporter had demanded a sum of Rs. 30,000 from the Immunization Officer for not publishing such a news report.
The court observed that “A serious allegation has been raised by the informant”. The Court observed at the outset.
It has also been alleged that initially he (Reporter) was given a sum of Rs.20,000 by the Immunization Officer for not publishing the news report. However, from the said informant for not publishing the news. Even thereafter the petitioner threatened the informant to pay the entire amount and as a consequence thereof an FIR was lodged against him. The informant and other witnesses have been examined and they supported the allegation raised in the FIR.
The court has accordingly rejected the anticipatory bail plea after noting that the Immunization Officer and other witnesses have been examined in the matter and that they had supported the allegation raised in the FIR.
