Dharwad MLA files complaint against television channel chief

Vinay Kulkarni, Dharwad MLA and chairman of the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board, has filed a complaint against Power TV’s managing director Rakesh Shetty, accusing him of broadcasting “false news” after the MLA refused to pay ₹2 crore in an alleged blackmail attempt.

Mr. Kulkarni filed the complaint at the Sanjaynagar police station on Tuesday urging action against the accused. He claimed that a conspiracy was orchestrated by Mr. Shetty and a woman named Manjula Poojar, who had earlier posed as a farmers’ activist.

In 2022, Ms. Poojar, from Haveri district, contacted Kulkarni, according to the complaint. A private channel had earlier aired a sting operation accusing her of extortion. Owing to her involvement in fraudulent activities and blackmail, Mr. Kulkarni had cut off all communication with her for the past two years, the complaint said.

In the complaint it is also alleged that Mr. Shetty and Ms. Poojar conspired to tarnish his reputation. They allegedly plotted to air defamatory videos and mobile conversation recordings on Power TV, demanding ₹2 crore to prevent their release.

Published - October 09, 2024 07:00 am IST