Three journalists booked for extortion, abetting man to suicide

HYDERABAD: The Cyberabad Police have registered a case against three journalists and three other individuals for harassing a man for extortion and abetting him to suicide.

The victim, Ravi, a Supervisor in the Agriculture Office in Julkal, died by suicide after killing his three sons in the Mokila police station limits on March 4.

Based on a complaint from the victim's wife, Neerati Sreelatha, Mokila Police registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

In her complaint, Neerati Sreelatha, a resident of Tangatoor in Shankarpally mandal, alleged that her husband Ravi came in contact with one Thirupathi Rao from Guntur, who introduced the GSN money circulation scheme. Ravi collected money from his and neighbouring villagers as deposits, promising huge returns. As per the company's terms, he collected money and sent it to Thirupathi Rao. He also received money from Thirupathi Rao and distributed it to the members who joined the scheme. While the business flourished, Ravi purchased about 39 guntas of land in Tangatoor village and started constructing a function hall named SMU. However, as Thirupathi Rao did not send any money for three months, Ravi defaulted on payments to investors in the scheme. He came under pressure as members asked for returns from him one by one.

In this context, three journalists - Ramesh, Srinivas, and Suresh - tried to extort money by threatening Ravi. According to their demands, Ravi agreed to pay Rs 10 lakhs to them and subsequently paid Rs 2.5 lakhs by selling off his wife's gold ornaments.

Furthermore, one depositor, Nagaraj, and his wife, Maneela, harassed Ravi for the return of money. In response, he put the land documents with moneylenders and returned Rs 20 lakhs to Nagaraj.

Due to the heavy pressures from depositors, the non-response of Thirupathi Rao, and harassment from journalists and others, he became vexed with his life. Consequently, he murdered his three sons by hanging them with a rope at his house and died by suicide by hanging himself at the newly constructed function hall in Tangatoor.

Based on this complaint, the police registered an FIR under sections 306, 384, 385, 406, 420 r/w34 IPC, and relevant sections of the Money Laundering Act and the SC, ST Prevention of Atrocities Act 2016.

Thirupathi Rao, Ramesh, Srinivas, Suresh, Nagaraj, Maneela, and others are named in the FIR. Further investigations are ongoing.