Pune: Four Including One Journalist Booked For Extorting ₹1 Lakh From Sweet Shop Owner Using Defamatory Video Claim
Pune: Four Including One Journalist Booked For Extorting ₹1 Lakh From Sweet Shop Owner Using Defamatory Video Claim
Pune, November 26, 2025: Four individuals, including a man who identified himself as a journalist, have been booked by the Fursungi Police for allegedly attempting to extort ₹1 lakh from the owner of a local sweet shop by threatening to circulate a defamatory video online. The incident reportedly occurred on November 17 and 18 at Purohit Sweet Corner and Purohit Sweet Mart in Bhekarainagar.
The accused have been identified as Rahul Machindra Harpale of Fursungi, Mauli Chavan of Fursungi, and two unidentified accomplices. A complaint was lodged by 42-year-old Kheemsingh Omsingh Rajpurohit, a resident of Radhakrishna Complex in Fursungi, naming Harpale and the others in the extortion attempt.
According to the complaint, two men entered the shop and falsely accused the establishment of selling masala cashews contaminated with maggots, despite not having purchased any items. They allegedly assaulted manager Nagaram Devasi and pressured him to record a video admitting to wrongdoing. When staff members resisted, the men reportedly intensified their assault.
Soon after, Rahul Harpale arrived at the shop, introducing himself as a journalist associated with a YouTube channel. He allegedly claimed to possess video evidence of insects in the sweets and threatened to post it on social media unless he was paid ₹50,000.
Later, Rajpurohit received a call from Mauli Chavan, who asked him to meet at Shivshakti Chowk. During their meeting, Harpale allegedly claimed the video had already been uploaded and viewed by around 1.5 lakh people, insisting that the video would be removed only after payment.
Further investigation into the matter is underway.
