Sunil Suklal Hazari (44), an editor of a local Hindi newspaper in Nagpur recently arrested in an extortion case, has now been charged in a separate case for extorting Rs 3 lakh from another RTO broker.
Earlier, Sunil Hazari was arrested by Sadar police on Thursday while accepting Rs 80,000 in extortion at the Old VCA Stadium. The arrest followed a complaint by RTO agent Titu Sharma, whom Hazari had been extorting Rs 10 lakh from. Hazari had threatened Sharma with publication of his name in connection with an ongoing RTO office scam investigation.
Hazari, a resident of Rahul Residency, near ST Bus Stand, Fifth Floor, Ganeshpeth, allegedly pressured another RTO broker, Balraj Sahani, to extort Rs 1 lakh. Following this, Sahani filed a formal complaint against Hazari with the Commissioner of Police.
According to sources, Sunil Hazari published a defamatory report against Balraj Sahni, an RTO broker, in July. Despite Sahni’s request for Hazari to refrain from defaming him, Hazari demanded a ransom of Rs 10 lakh. Eventually, a settlement was reached for Rs 5 lakh.
Who is the extortion partner in the gang?
It is reported that Sunil Hazari has been operating in Nagpur recently, collecting extortion money by forming a gang of extortionist journalists. This raises questions about who might be his accomplices in this criminal network.
It is said that the police have taken the matter seriously. The veils of many people will be torn in the investigation of the Sahani case. Fearing further blackmail, Sahani paid Rs 3 lakh in front of Hazari’s newspaper office on July 31. Despite this, Hazari continued to threaten Sahani over the phone, demanding an additional Rs 1 lakh, causing Sahani significant financial and mental distress.
Hazari was threatening him over the phone for extortion. There has been uproar after an audio tape with the dialogue “Don’t give money to Tutecha, give money directly to me in front of the newspaper office” went viral in the media.
Five days ago, Sunil Hazari had demanded a ransom of Rs 10 lakh from RTO agent Titu Sharma for not publishing the news. However, Titu Sharma had given Hazari Rs 1 lakh and Rs 80,000 for fear of defamation. Sunil Hazari was arrested after he complained to the police before paying the remaining amount. Currently, Hazari is lodged in Nagpur Central Jail.