Noida: News Portal Founder, Reporters Arrested For Extorting Businessmen, Linked To Ravi Kana Gang

Gangster Kana and his associate Kajal Jha were arrested from Delhi airport in April last year following their detention in Bangkok.

An FIR was registered against Parashar and the others under Section 308 (5) of BNS for extortion and threats.

Source : ABPLIVE AI

Noida News: The founder of a local news portal in Noida has been arrested along with two reporters for allegedly running an extortion racket by threatening to publish fake news against businessmen. Police have linked all three to the notorious Ravi Kana gang as they were using the gang's name to intimidate affluent businessmen.

Gangster Kana and his associate Kajal Jha were arrested at Delhi airport in April last year following their detention in Bangkok. In 2023, Kana and three others were charged with the gang rape of a 25-year-old woman at Gardens Galleria mall.

The journalists were arrested a real estate dealer filed a police complaint against the founder, Pankaj Parashar. Parashar worked with several publications before starting the portal  Tricity Today in 2021, a report in Times of India said.

News Portal Founder's Wife Refuses Allegations

However, Parashar's wife refuted the allegations in social media posts. She alleged that he was arrested over news articles critical of the police commissioner.

The complainant has alleged that the journalists reached out to a property dealer and asked him to come to Pari Chowk in Greater Noida on the pretext of conducting an interview with him.

"Later, they identified themselves as Kana's associates and demanded Rs 3 lakh from him. They threatened to malign his image on the news portal and even warned of fatal consequences if he did not pay up," an officer said.

An FIR was registered against Parashar and the others under Section 308 (5) of BNS for extortion and threats, said DCP (Greater Noida) Saad Miyan Khan. Police have recovered Rs 6.3 lakh in cash, two luxury vehicles, registration certificates of 14 cars belonging to Kana, along with 12 photographs and signed documents from them.