Nagpur: Journalist Sunil Suklal Hajari, 44, has been remanded to Nagpur Central Jail after the court rejected his bail plea. Hajari, who serves as the Chief Editor of a prominent newspaper, was caught red-handed by the Sadar police for allegedly extorting money from an RTO (Regional Transport Office) agent.
The incident leading to Hajari’s arrest involved a complaint filed by Dhanraj alias Titu Sharma, 55, a long-time agent at the Rural RTO. Sharma alleged that Hajari demanded INR 10 lakh in exchange for not publishing a news story concerning Sharma’s role in a case that led to the suspension of three RTO officers. After negotiations, the amount was settled at INR 7 lakh, with Sharma initially paying INR 1 lakh on August 28. However, Sharma, unwilling to make further payments, reported the incident to the police.
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Saturday 23 Nov. 2024
Following this, under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner Rahul Madne, a trap was set by the Sadar police. On Thursday, Hajari arrived near the VCA Stadium to collect INR 80,000. He was subsequently taken to an ice cream shop where he was apprehended by the police while accepting the money.
The arrest of Hajari, who was previously in police custody until September 1, has sent shockwaves through the Nagpur journalism community. While the police have sought an extension of his custody, the court instead issued a judicial remand, resulting in Hajari’s transfer to Nagpur Central Jail.
