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“No Vehicle Passes Without Paying Us” — Three Held for Alleged Illegal Recovery Racket on Highway
Unnao: In a major crackdown, Uttar Pradesh Police arrested three alleged fake journalists accused of extorting money from vehicle drivers on the Kanpur-Lucknow highway under the guise of media authority. The accused allegedly used motorcycles marked “PRESS” and threatened drivers transporting cattle to force illegal payments.
According to police, the complaint was lodged by vehicle driver Arvind Kumar Sonkar alias Bablu, who stated that on the night of May 17 he was transporting animals in a CNG magic vehicle towards the Dahi area when two motorcycles intercepted his vehicle near a CNG pump on the highway. Four men reportedly stopped the vehicle and introduced themselves as journalists.
The complainant alleged that the accused threatened him and his helpers, claiming that no cattle vehicle could pass through the route without paying them. Initially demanding Rs 25,000, the accused allegedly intimidated the driver into handing over Rs 10,000 in cash out of fear for their safety. The suspects reportedly divided the money among themselves at the spot.
Acting swiftly on the complaint, Kotwali Sadar police registered a case under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and launched a targeted operation. Three accused — Prashant Tiwari, Pushpendra Yadav, and Aamir — were arrested. Police recovered cash along with several press identity cards from their possession. Additional legal sections were added after the recovery.
Investigators revealed that the accused claimed to operate as a media team under the name “Nipun Bharat Samachar.” Authorities are now verifying whether the accused had any legitimate affiliation with a registered media organization or were merely misusing fake press credentials to run an extortion network.
Police records further show that two of the arrested accused already had criminal histories, including cases related to assault, intimidation, IT Act violations, and other serious offences. Senior police officials stated that strict action would continue against individuals misusing journalism as a cover for organized illegal recovery and intimidation on highways.
