Balasore: Sahadevkhunta police arrested a 42-year-old man on the charge of extortion. The accused identified as, Sarat Padhi, resident of Badakia village in Chandipur police limits, has been sent to jail after his bail plea was rejected.

According to the police, the accused along with five others posed as reporters from a media house and extorted Rs 30,000 in cash and a cheque of Rs 2.7 lakh by blackmailing Ayush doctor Asish Biswal. They had threatened the doctor that he would be exposed if the amount was not paid to them. A complaint was lodged by the wife of the doctor, Sradhanjali Nayak, in the police station following which the investigation started.

Inspector in charge of Sahadevkhunta police station, Jayant Behera, said: "The accused Sarat Padhi was rounded up from Chandipur, while his other accomplices belonging to Bhubaneswar are at large. Six people, including one woman, had threatened the doctor at his house."

"They were operating as a racket in Balasore. They have committed two similar offences involving two other doctors - one gynaecologist of Nilgiri hospital and a surgery specialist of Balasore town. All the members of the racket except one have been identified and would be brought be arrested soon," Behera said.

A gang member told the police that they had information that Biswal being an Ayush doctor was prescribing modern medicines. They threatened the doctor that if he didn't pay them Rs 3 lakh, he would exposed.

On March 10, the gang reached the house of the doctor at Balia in Sahadevkhunta with camera and microphone. After reaching the house they demanded the money and Biswal gave Rs 30,000 in cash and a cheque of Rs 2.7 lakh.

Biswal having 4 to 5 years of experience has been posted as an Ayush doctor in the Public Health Centre at Basta.

Behera said: "It is being verified if a TV channel named Swastik TV exists at all and whether these people have any connection with it."

Thief arrested

A person who looted cash of Rs 1.1 lakh in front of bank in Digha from a customer was on Sunday arrested by Mohan Nagar police. The accused, Satyaprakash Jena, was identified with the help of the bank's CCTV footage