Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Nishatpura police on Saturday arrested a dismissed railway employee Rajesh Tiwari for allegedly blackmailing a person and demanding Rs 3 lakh as extortion.
Videos purportedly showing Tiwari accepting cash also went viral on social media. Police said action was initiated following a complaint lodged by Shahzeb Khan, also known as Jibbi, an alleged associate of meat trader Aslam Qureshi, also known as Chamda.
Khan, a resident of Jahangirabad, alleged that Tiwari had been repeatedly defaming him on social media by branding him a banned meat smuggler.
According to complaint, Tiwari allegedly demanded money in return for stopping the posts. Acting on the complaint, police conducted a raid and arrested Tiwari while he was allegedly accepting the money. Police sources claimed that drugs and an illegal weapon were recovered from Tiwari’s possession.
Some suspicious documents and videos were also found on his mobile phone. Videos circulating on social media purportedly show Tiwari admitting to receiving ?1.50 lakh. Police said further questioning of Tiwari is underway.
Police said Tiwari had been posting on social media claiming to expose Machhli gang and an alleged banned meat smuggling network linked to Aslam also known as Chamda.
Tiwari, who was earlier employed with the railways, had faced rape charges in 2020 and was dismissed from service. A case of attempt to murder is also registered against him. Police said he projected himself as a social media influencer.
