A day after a journalist was arrested for allegedly blackmailing Union Minister Mahesh Sharma, Noida Police said they have questioned a social worker and will speak to a retired police officer. The journalist had claimed to have caught Sharma accepting a bribe and was allegedly demanding Rs 2 crore from him. Sharma has called her claims false. The journalist has been sent to judicial custody. According to police, social worker Usha Thakur allegedly came in contact with the arrested journalist and facilitated a meeting between her and Sharma. Advertising “It has come to light that Thakur and former Noida Deputy Superintendent of Police K K Gautam were in touch with the accused. Thakur was questioned after the journalist was arrested. The accused has divulged details about her alleged interactions with the two people, which are being probed,” said SSP, Gautam Budh Nagar, Vaibhav Krishna. Thakur denied the claims: “My work is to help whoever comes to me. Mahesh Sharma is like a brother to me… I was in the mahila thana till 12 last night. Police did a good job by exposing the conspiracy within minutes.” Gautam could not be reached for a comment. Sharma had Monday said Thakur and Gautam brought the journalist, who wished to “volunteer” for his campaigns, for a meeting. Police said they had recovered a video recording of a conversation between the journalist and Sharma, and found nothing objectionable. According to police, the accused told them the tablet on which their conversation was recorded was taken from Thakur’s house.

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