New Delhi:
Tehelka.com, the website behind such sting operations as the Cash for Query Scandal today announced that it had conducted a Sting Operation on India TV, a news channel's offices in New Delhi. Mr. Tarun Tejpal, Tehelka's editor, announced that he and a team of Sting specialists had uncovered a racket of filming Fake Sting Operations which was carried out of sets erected in India TV's offices. Mr. Tejpal claims that the editor of India TV, Mr. Rajat Sharma runs an elaborate extortion network out of his studio in New Delhi. The size and scale of his operation is said to rival the activities of Chhota Shakeel and Dawood Ibrahim.
Mr. Tejpal made a presentation detailing India TV's modus operandi. It is believed that Mr. Sharma first identifies his victims and makes the preliminary extortion call. He is said to frighten his victim with the threat of subjecting him to a sting operation if he failed to pay up. Most of his victims preferred to pay off their tormentor, while the unfortunate ones end up starring in India TV's fake sting operations videos.
The Delhi police has followed up on the leads provided on the case and has come out with the motivations of Mr. Rajat Sharma. It is believed that due to the lack of credibility of India TV, advertising revenues are practically non-existent for the channel, and the extortion network provides the crucial income on which the channel survives.
