Senior journalist Vinod Verma arrested for allegedly blackmailing BJP minister

New Delhi: Senior journalist Vinod Verma was on Friday arrested by Chhattisgarh Police from Indirapuram area in Ghaziabad in connection with a case of extortion. He was arrested and taken to the Indirapuram Police Station at 3.30 am where he was questioned for hours.

"He's arrested by Chattisgarh police in a case of extortion registered at P.S.Pandri,distt Raipur.(Cr no 340/17,U/S 384 506 IPC)," the UP Police tweeted on Friday.

The police have reportedly said that Verma was in possession of incriminating CDs of a Chhattisgarh minister. Action against Verma was taken after a complaint was filed by someone one close to the minister. Several CDs, pen drives, and some documents are also said to have been confiscated by the police.

The Chhattisgarh government has reportedly claimed that he was working with the Congress to defame the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 

Verma is a member of the Editors Guild of India and was also reportedly part of a fact-finding team of the Editors Guild which is looking into the intimidation of journalists in Chhattisgarh.

However, there is no clarity yet on why he was taken into custody.

While initial reports suggested that it was a joint operation by the police of both states, the Uttar Pradesh Police clarified it had "nothing to do with it". 

Rahul Srivastava, PRO at the DGP office in Lucknow, that a case under sections 384 and 506 of the IPC had been lodged against Verma in Pandri police station of Raipur district.

Verma has in the past been associated with Amar Ujala and the BBC.