Gujarat extortion: Former journalist arrested after year on the run
Synopsis
A former journalist who allegedly posed as a working media professional to extort ₹1 lakh from a spa owner has been arrested by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch after nearly a year on the run. The case is the latest in a pattern of Gujarat extortion cases where individuals have exploited — or fabricated — media credentials to intimidate business owners.
Key Takeaways
Sunil Brahmbhatt , 45, was arrested by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch on 18 June after absconding for nearly a year.
He allegedly demanded ₹5 lakh and collected ₹1 lakh from a spa owner in Khoraj, Gandhinagar .
Brahmbhatt was no longer employed as a journalist at the time of the alleged offence, according to police.
He has prior cases in Ahmedabad, Mehsana, Patan , and Kheda districts involving extortion, cheating, dacoity, and other charges.
The arrest follows similar cases in Surat (₹22 lakh, 10 arrested) and Vadodara (₹7 lakh) involving individuals posing as journalists.
The Ahmedabad Crime Branch on Thursday, 18 June arrested Sunil Brahmbhatt, a 45-year-old former journalist from Hanspura, Naroda in Ahmedabad, who had been absconding for nearly a year in connection with an extortion case filed at Adalaj police station in Gandhinagar district. Brahmbhatt allegedly posed as a journalist to demand money from a spa owner, according to investigators.
Background of the Case
The case originates from 2025, when the owner of a spa centre situated in Eklavya Complex, Khoraj area, alleged that Brahmbhatt demanded ₹5 lakh and ultimately collected ₹1 lakh from him. A case was subsequently registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to extortion and criminal intimidation. Brahmbhatt had been evading arrest from the time the case was first filed.
How the Arrest Was Made
Investigators traced Brahmbhatt during a recent operation and took him into custody before handing him over to the Adalaj police for further legal proceedings. Officials clarified that at the time of the alleged offence, Brahmbhatt had already been removed from the media outlet he was associated with. 'He is a former journalist. At the time the incident occurred, he had already been removed from the media outlet he was associated with and is not working as a journalist,' an official said.
Brahmbhatt's Prior Criminal Record
Police records indicate that Brahmbhatt has previously been booked in multiple cases across Gujarat, spanning allegations of extortion, cheating, criminal intimidation, dacoity, prohibition offences, and offences under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Cases against him have been registered in Ahmedabad, Mehsana, Patan, and Kheda districts.
A Wider Pattern in Gujarat
This arrest comes amid a series of extortion investigations in Gujarat involving individuals allegedly misusing media credentials. In April last year, Surat police arrested 10 individuals allegedly posing as journalists in connection with a ₹22 lakh extortion case involving local industrialists. Investigators alleged the group threatened business owners with complaints and adverse publicity before demanding payment.
In a separate incident, the Vadodara Crime Branch arrested a man in June of the same year for allegedly posing as a journalist and extorting ₹7 lakh from a person linked to a scrap theft investigation. Investigators in the current Ahmedabad case said further inquiry is continuing.
Point of View
Or fabricate, journalist identity to intimidate small business owners into paying up. What is notable is that in each case, the alleged extortion targets were not powerful entities but vulnerable sole proprietors: a spa owner, local industrialists, a person linked to a scrap case. The misuse of media credentials as a coercive tool points to a credibility crisis that the press community in Gujarat has yet to address frontally. Law enforcement's ability to trace and arrest Brahmbhatt after a year is a procedural win, but the broader ecosystem that allows such impersonation to recur demands structural scrutiny — from press accreditation systems to how police initially respond to complaints from those threatened by 'journalists'.
NationPress
4 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Sunil Brahmbhatt and why was he arrested?
Sunil Brahmbhatt is a 45-year-old former journalist from Naroda, Ahmedabad, arrested by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch on 18 June for allegedly extorting money from a spa owner in Gandhinagar. He had been absconding for nearly a year since the case was registered at Adalaj police station.
What was the extortion demand in the Gandhinagar spa case?
According to investigators, Brahmbhatt allegedly demanded ₹5 lakh from the spa owner and ultimately collected ₹1 lakh. The case was registered under BNS provisions relating to extortion and criminal intimidation.
Was Brahmbhatt a working journalist at the time of the alleged offence?
No. Police officials clarified that Brahmbhatt had already been removed from the media outlet he was associated with before the incident occurred and was not working as a journalist at the time.
Does Brahmbhatt have a prior criminal record?
Yes. Police records show he has been previously booked in multiple cases across Gujarat, including allegations of extortion, cheating, criminal intimidation, dacoity, prohibition offences, and offences under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, with cases in Ahmedabad, Mehsana, Patan, and Kheda districts.
Is this part of a larger trend in Gujarat?
Yes. Gujarat has seen a series of similar cases. In April last year, Surat police arrested 10 individuals allegedly posing as journalists in a ₹22 lakh extortion case. Separately, the Vadodara Crime Branch arrested a man for allegedly extorting ₹7 lakh while posing as a journalist — pointing to a recurring pattern of media credential misuse in the state.
