Fake journo demands cash from MLA, held

DHARMAPURI: Dharmapuri police have arrested a man who claimed himself as a journalist and tried to demand cash for publishing a story from Dharmapuri MLA A Baskar (DMDK), on Wednesday. According to police, a a person came to  Baskar’s office and introducing himself to the MLA as a journalist from an English weekly magazine from Chennai, asked for an appointment to interview the MLA for a story.The MLA readily gave the interview and after the interview, the journalist demanded Rs 10,000 to publish the story in the magazine.Suspecting the credentials of the man who interviewed him, Baskar checked with  the local journalists and found that he was a fake journalist, and immediately informed the police.A police team interrogated the impersonator and confirmed that the person S Sekar (62) of Sowkarpet used to cheat VIPs under the guise of a journalist.The police arrested Sekar and have registered a case. Further investigation is on.