Odisha journalist arrested for blackmailing, sexually exploiting woman

Cuttack: Twin City Commissionerate Police today arrested a journalist from Cuttack on charges of sexually exploiting and blackmailing a woman with nude videos.

The accused journalist has been identified as Akshay Ranjan Das. The journalist works as Managing Editor of a monthly Odia magazine Khepanastra. The periodical published from here is owned by Abhaya Kumar Dora.

The accused has been arrested under Sections 376 (1), 328, 420, 506 of IPC.

As per the 30-year-old complainant, the accused duped her on the pretext of fetching her job in a media house with a monthly salary of Rs 30,000. The married woman, a resident of Hajari Lane under Purighat police station, had also given Rs One lakh to the accused by mortgaging her jewellery.

Initially, she was given assignments without any remuneration. When she insisted on her appointment letter and press identity card, he used to avoid her. In March last year, the accused called her to his residence at Press Colony in Nuapada here and sexually assaulted her after giving her spiked drink. Subsequently, the accused blackmailed her with naked videos and forced her to continue with physical relationship.

When the woman protested the continuous exploitation, the 54-year-old accused threatened her to circulate the videos and make it viral. Fed up with his repeated threatening, the victim reported cases at Mahila Police Station and Lalbag Police Station.
Taking cognizance of the matter, police swung into action and arrested the accused.

It may be mentioned here that when the woman had gone to file a complaint with the local police station, she confronted the accused. A verbal duel ensued leading to scuffle. The woman had beaten the accused with sandals in front of the police station.

As per police, three cases have been registered against the accused. Details of the cases registered:

(1) Cuttack Mahila PS Case No.-08 on 13.01.2012 under section 498-A, 323, 427, 495, 506, 34 of IPC.
(2) Cuttack Mahila PS Case No.-87 on 18.07.2022 under section 354-A, 354-B, 494, 506, 294, 420, 34 of IPC R/W Sec-66 (E), 67 of IT Act.
(3) Lalbag PS Case No.-149 on 02.07.2022 under section 341, 323, 294, 34 of IPC.