Pune: YouTube Journalist and Female Colleague Booked for Extortion; Investigation Underway
Yerwada, 14th October 2024: A YouTube journalist and his female colleague have been booked by the police following a complaint by a pan stall owner, alleging extortion and threats. The incident occurred on Friday, October 11, in Gunjan Chowk.
According to the complaint, the duo confronted the pan stall owner, Subhashchandra Ramavadh Morya, accusing him of selling tobacco (Gutka) at his shop, Bhola Pan Tapri. They reportedly demanded money, eventually extorting ₹30,000 from the owner. A case of extortion and theft has been filed at Yerwada police station against the journalist, Satish Rathod (42), and his female colleague (40).
The police revealed that Rathod and the complainant, Subhash, were acquainted. On the day of the incident, Rathod, accompanied by his colleague, allegedly had an argument with Subhash’s brother-in-law, Shivprasad, which escalated into a violent altercation. Subhash arrived at the scene and was reportedly threatened by Rathod, who demanded ₹2 lakh and ₹10,000 monthly installments, warning that failure to comply would result in the closure of his stall.
Rathod is accused of dragging Subhash to the Bund Garden Bridge, where he forcibly took ₹30,000 from his pocket. The Yerwada police have detained Rathod for questioning, and Sub-Inspector Jaydeep Patil is leading the investigation.
