Lakhs in Cash Seized as Two Ex-Journalists Arrested in Multi-Crore Extortion Racket

Ex-TV Anchor, Associate Held in ₹65-Crore Blackmail Racket in Noida.

In a major bust, Noida Police on Tuesday arrested two individuals — including a former television anchor — for allegedly running a ₹65-crore blackmail racket involving fabricated sexual harassment claims. The accused have been identified as Shazia Nisar, formerly employed as an anchor with a private news channel, and Adarsh Jha, who worked in the digital division of another media outlet.

According to investigators, the duo targeted senior officials of a private news network and demanded money in exchange for not publicizing false sexual harassment allegations. The extortion demand, which initially stood at ₹5 crore, was later escalated to ₹65 crore.

Police said they have secured audio and video recordings as evidence of the threats made by the accused. Following the filing of a complaint, officers from Sector 58 police station initiated a probe. During a subsequent search at Shazia Nisar’s residence, officials recovered ₹34.5 lakh in cash. Both suspects were arrested shortly thereafter.

They were presented in court and have been remanded to 14 days of judicial custody. Officials confirmed that investigations are ongoing to determine whether others were involved in the wider extortion network.