Shahid Imran aka Imran Ahmad Ganie, the owner of social media news outlet Kashmir Crown was arrested by the police in relation to a case of fraud and extortion.
Confirming the arrest, a police official said that police has presently produced Shahid Imran before a court for seeking his remand.
Police in its official press release said that Imran has been arrested under FIR no 145/2021 under Sections 384 (extortion), 385 (Putting person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion), 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation.), 420 (Cheating and dishonestly) and 120B of the IPC.
Imran and associate Ashiq Mir have been accused of blackmailing a woman who had been the source for a news item published by Kashmir Crown on drug abuse.
Heart of the matter
According to the FIR, the accused duo of Mir and Imran breached the woman’s trust as her wish was not to reveal her name in any news item. However, not only they made her visible, causing her so much stress that she thought of committing suicide but also later sought money from her in exchange to remove the news item from their website and social media sites.
When it did not happen, the woman filed a case against the duo. They are also accused of siphoning money they received from people to help downtrodden sections of society.
This money was collected by the media outlet and its Trust by publishing sob stories about families struck with calamities, especially of diseases and poverty. Emotionally charged videos used to be circulated on its social media pages to collect funds for poor families under Kashmir Crown Trust. About Rs 1.9 crore meant for the rehab of orphan girls is under question as it is being said that it has not been paid to the orphan girls.
