MLA blackmailing case: accused surrenders

An accused in a case related to alleged blackmailing of Congress MLA Hemant Katare today surrendered before a local court, which sent him in police remand for two days.

Vikramjeet Singh, who was absconding for over four months, surrendered before Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Bharat Kumar Vyas here.

Singh's lawyer E A Qureshi said that police sought his client's remand for three days, but the court granted them two days' custody.

Singh, along with a woman journalism student, is accused of blackmailing Congress MLA Hemant Katare for Rs 5 lakh.

The woman was arrested in January for extorting money from Katare, the MLA from Ater. Singh was on the run since then.

The woman, who is the prime accused in the case, was later granted bail.

Police had also registered a case against Katare, on the complaint of the woman, then in jail, for allegedly abducting and raping her.

Five days ago, the woman did a U-turn and told media that she tried to frame the MLA in a false case at the behest of some BJP leaders.