FIR registered against ‘snatcher-cum-blackmailer reporter’ Shubham Manswalia for extortion

Demanded Rs 20,000 for deleting video from his digital portal

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: Jammu Police has registered an FIR against Shubham Manswalia, a snatcher cum self-styled journalist associated with an unregistered online portal, “The Daily Truth News”, following a complaint of blackmailing, extortion, and criminal defamation.

The accused Shubham Manswalia misused the banner of journalism to indulge in criminal activities, including extortion and defamation of reputed persons and institutions.
According to FIR 321/25 registered at Trikuta Nagar Police Station under section 308 (2) for extortion and blackmailing, Shubham demanded Rs 20,000 in exchange for deleting a fabricated and defamatory video uploaded on his so-called news portal. A voice recording clearly proves how Shubham was negotiating the deal to extract money in lieu of video deletion from his portal.
Shockingly, Shubham Manswalia already has a criminal background and was earlier booked and charge-sheeted in FIR 91/2023 at Police Station Channi Himmat under Section 382 IPC (snatching case) for allegedly snatching.
Meanwhile, according to official records, FIR 91/2023 was registered at Police Station Channi Himmat on the written complaint of Ram Babu, son of Dhan Parsad, resident of Sanjay Nagar, Jammu I the year 2023. The complainant had stated that on June 7, 2023, around 2:00 PM, his Vivo Y21 mobile phone (Light Sky Blue) was snatched near Jammu Darbar, Channi Himmat by a motorcyclist riding a bike bearing registration number JK02DA-3858.
“This bike (JK02DA-3858) used in snatching by Shubham was registered in name of his sister Bharti Manswalia, resident of Choti Masjid, H;NO; 284 Ustad Mohalla, Jammu, daughter of Kasturi Lal,” police charge-sheet states. Presently, this case against Shubam is under judicial consideration in the court of special excise magistrate and the hearing in this case is on November 12, 2025.
Further, in a startling revelation that exposed the rot within unregulated digital media operations, Onkar Singh, the Editor-in-Chief of this unregistered online portal, ‘The Daily Truth News’, has been found to possess an official Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly entry card – despite the portal having no registration or accreditation with the Department of Information and Public Relations.
Calling Manswalia a “habitual offender” for misusing the name of journalism, all the Jammu based senior journalists had urged the authorities to take strict action under relevant sections of law against blackmailer reporter and blackmailer portal.
“How unregistered digital portals and its associated social media handles are being used for extortion, blackmail and online intimidation, “said former PCJ President Manu Shrivasts, adding “this incident has once again sparked concerns within the media fraternity about the mushrooming of fake news portals and the misuse of the “press” identity for unlawful activities, tarnishing the image of genuine journalists and credible media institutions.”
Earlier, the Press Club of Jammu’s former president Ashwani Kumar and founder member M K Bangroo also raised serious concern over the mushrooming of such fake and unregistered portals that are bringing disrepute to the noble profession of journalism.