Kannada YouTube channel accused of extortion

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) has arrested four people for allegedly extorting money from people by threatening them in the name of a YouTube channel.

They have been identified as Anand alias Figure, Atmananda alias Krishnegowda, Srinivasa alias Reshmenadu Srinivasa and Keshavamurthy.

The group has been running the Kannada YouTube channel AK News for four years now. As the channel became popular, the group planned to extort money from businesses operating with faulty licences or selling illegal products. They would threaten to do videos on shopkeepers on YouTube. Fearing police action, many shopkeepers paid the group huge sums of money.

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The CCB had been monitoring the group’s activities but didn’t have any victims coming forward to lodge a complaint. However, Sadiq Khan, who runs a meat shop in KR Puram, came forward to lodge a complaint, prompting the CCB to take action against the group.

“We had clear information about the group but no complaints were registered. Though we approached victims to register a complaint, we were denied by several victims,” an officer told DH. “More than 10 victims have fallen into the trap.”

The officer added that the group extorted money from many shops on SP Road, accusing their owners of selling fake products. Even these victims declined to lodge police complaints.

Police have confiscated a car, mobile phones, and Rs 13,000 in cash from the group and are interrogating its members.