Belagavi: Hukkeri police have arrested four YouTubers for allegedly extorting Rs 1.6 lakh from a man by posing as police officers and journalists and threatening him. Police said a car, a motorcycle, mobile phones, and Rs 34,000 in cash were seized from the accused. The arrested persons have been identified as Kallappa Malaj, Mallikarjun Julapi, Prithviraj Chauhan, and David Jacob, residents of Hukkeri, Gokak, and Chikodi taluks.According to police, on July 18, the accused arrived in a car and introduced themselves as police officers and journalists. They allegedly threatened Mahaboob Jamadar of Kotabagi village, warning him that they would file a case against him for selling ganja and send him to jail if he failed to pay the amount they demanded. The accused allegedly collected Rs 1.6 lakh from him. The victim later lodged a complaint, alleging extortion and defamation after a video related to the incident was circulated on social media. Taking the complaint seriously, police launched an investigation and arrested the four accused, all aged between 25 and 35 years. A case has been registered at Hukkeri police station.
