Allegedly Threatened To Publish Defamatory Reports, Foist False Cases
Rajkot: Atkot police registered a case of extortion and cheating against a Gondal-based journalist, Ravi Ramani, after a man alleged that he was forced to pay Rs 10 lakh under threats of defamatory news reports and false criminal cases linked to a family land dispute.According to the FIR filed by Keyur Bhayani, his family owns 11 bighas of ancestral agricultural land in Virnagar village of Jasdan taluka in the name of his father, Gordhan Bhayani.In 2015, after Gordhan was diagnosed with cancer and got surgery, the family faced financial difficulties and borrowed Rs 15 lakh from Alpesh Donga. A sale deed for the land was executed as security, in favour of a local resident, leading to litigation that remains pending.The complaint states that Donga is facing multiple cases related to allegedly grabbing farmers’ land under the guise of providing low-interest loans.In 2020, Amit Dhameliya, Gordhan’s acquaintance and business associate, introduced the family to Ravi Ramani, who operated an office at Gundala Chokdi in Gondal. Ramani claimed that, as a journalist, he had the influence to help clear their pending court cases and resolve the land dispute.The complainant alleged that Ramani later demanded Rs 10 lakh for resolving the matter. When the family expressed its inability to pay, Ramani threatened to publish reports claiming they were filing false complaints to extract money after selling the land. He also allegedly warned that forgery charges would be initiated against them.Bhayani stated that, fearing public humiliation and criminal prosecution, he sent Rs 10 lakh to Ramani through angadia services from Rajkot to the Gondal market yard in two instalments during 2020.The FIR further alleges that Ramani took no steps to resolve the dispute after receiving the money and eventually stopped responding to calls.According to the complaint, Dhameliya, the mediator, repaid Rs 7.5 lakh from his own funds in instalments by 2023 after repeated demands by the family. The remaining Rs 2.5 lakh is yet to be recovered.Bhayani told police that the family did not approach law enforcement earlier because of continued intimidation. He decided to file a complaint after learning that Ramani had recently been arrested in Gondal in connection with another criminal case.Atkot police have booked Ramani for extortion and cheating and are investigating the matter.
