Senior TV journalist Rajat Sharma receives threat calls, demands security

New Delhi: Senior TV journalist Rajat Sharma has approached the Delhi Police saying he received threat calls and demanded security, officials said on Wednesday.

According to police, they received a complaint from a leading daily news channel India TV, following which the Special Cell unit has initiated a threat assessment.

This is not the first time the Sharma has received such a threat, sources said.

In June 2012, the news channel India TV had filed a police complaint alleging its editor-in-chief Rajat Sharma was receiving threat calls and messages, following which a case was filed against unknown persons under the Information Technology Act.

According to the complaint, the channel had telecast a programme that month questioning the claims of a godman and allegations raised against him that he conned people by holding religious programmes.

The godman had also participated in the programme to answer the allegations against him.

Shortly after the programme was telecast, the channel claimed that the journalist received "abusive and threatening" calls and text messages from people claiming to be the godman’s followers.

This is not the first time that Sharma has received threatening calls. In 2012, Sharma had lodged an FIR with the Delhi Police, saying that he was receiving threatening calls and text messages from unknown people after his channel telecast a programme during which the claims of a self-proclaimed godman were questioned. A case was registered under sections of the Information Technology Act at the Greater Kailash police station.