For a citizen being threatened, coerced, or extorted by a journalist, self-styled 'media person,' or someone claiming press credentials -- for example, a demand for money to avoid negative or false coverage -- distinct from cases where damaging content has already been published.
1. Do not pay, and do not delete the threat
Paying an extortion demand rarely ends the harassment and can encourage repeat demands. Keep every call recording, message, video, or email exactly as received -- do not delete anything, even if it is upsetting.
2. Preserve evidence carefully
Screenshot messages with visible timestamps and sender details, save call recordings, and note the exact date, time, and location of any in-person visit or threat. This evidence is central to both a criminal complaint and, if needed, a later defence against any publication.
3. Recognise this is extortion and intimidation, not (yet) defamation
A threat to publish damaging content unless paid is extortion under Section 308 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (successor to IPC ss.383-389), and criminal intimidation under Section 351. Defamation law (BNS s.356) applies only once something false has actually been published -- if that has already happened to you, see the defamation route instead.
4. File an FIR -- extortion is cognizable
Extortion under Section 308(2) BNS is a cognizable and non-bailable offence, so police must register an FIR and can investigate without a magistrate's prior order. You can file it at any police station as a Zero FIR under Section 173(1), BNSS, regardless of where the threat was made.
5. Add criminal intimidation and related charges where they fit
A threat of injury (including reputational harm) to compel you to act against your will is criminal intimidation under Section 351 BNS -- up to 7 years if the threat is of death or grievous hurt (s.351(3)), or up to 2 years for lesser threats (s.351(2)). Real fake-journalist extortion cases have been registered under a combination of ss.308(3), 351(3), 352, and 3(5) BNS (common intention), so police may add several sections together.
6. Know that a fake press card is not, by itself, a separate offence
Journalism is not a licensed profession in India, so there is no single statutory offence for merely claiming to be a journalist falsely. What matters is the underlying conduct -- if the person deceived you into believing they were someone specific to induce you to act, cheating by personation under Section 319 BNS may also apply.
7. Also report it as cybercrime if the threat is spreading online
If the extortion or threatened content is being circulated over WhatsApp, YouTube, or social media, file an additional complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in) -- this runs alongside, not instead of, your police complaint.
8. Complain to the relevant media self-regulatory body, if applicable
If the person represents a registered newspaper, complain to the Press Council of India (print media only, under ss.13-14 of the Press Council Act, 1978); if they represent a TV news channel or its digital arm, complain to the News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) after first writing to the channel itself. Neither body can award compensation or punish anyone criminally -- they can only warn, admonish, or censure a member.
9. Consider defamation remedies if content is later published
If the threatened false or damaging content is actually published despite your complaint, a separate criminal complaint or civil suit for defamation under Section 356 BNS becomes available at that point -- track this as a distinct, later step, not a substitute for acting on the extortion threat now.
National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (if the threat is spreading online): https://cybercrime.gov.in
Helpline: 1930 only if money was already paid digitally as part of the extortion; otherwise use local police.
Handled by: Police (FIR/Zero FIR); Press Council of India (print only); NBDSA (TV/digital news channels)
Who can use this: Anyone threatened, pressured, or extorted by a person claiming to be a journalist, YouTuber, blogger, or other 'media person' -- typically a demand for money or favour in exchange for not publishing damaging, false, or private content about them.
This does not cover: Content that has ALREADY been published (false, damaging, or otherwise) -- see defamation_remedies for that. Ordinary financial cyber fraud where money was taken via a fake investment or loan scheme unrelated to a media threat -- see cyber_fraud_non_emergency. This route covers being threatened, pressured, or extorted using the threat of future publication by someone claiming media/press credentials.
Time limit: No special limitation period applies to filing an FIR for extortion or criminal intimidation -- but prompt reporting helps preserve digital evidence before it is lost. (General principle; no specific limitation period is prescribed under BNS ss.308/351)
Cost: Filing an FIR is free. Press Council of India and NBDSA complaints are also free to file.
You'll need:- Identity/claimed credentials of the person threatening you (name, outlet, press card details if shown)
- Exact nature of the threat and what is being demanded
- Date, time, and mode of the threat (call, message, in-person visit)
- Whether any payment has already been made or content already published
- Witnesses, if any
Documents that help:- Call recordings and message screenshots with visible timestamps
- Any demand note, email, or WhatsApp message
- Photograph or copy of any press card shown, if available
- Bank/UPI transaction records if any payment was made
- ID proof
What happens after: Since extortion under s.308(2) BNS is cognizable and non-bailable, police must register the FIR and can arrest without a magistrate's prior order; bail for extortion is at the court's discretion, not a matter of right. Any parallel Press Council or NBDSA complaint proceeds separately as a self-regulatory inquiry with no criminal consequence.
These are the remedies Indian law provides for this kind of situation -- not a recommendation, and not every remedy will apply to your own facts.
Criminal complaint / FIR under Section 308, BNS (extortion)
Jurisdictional police station or Zero FIR at any police station
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita allows a criminal complaint for extortion where a person is intentionally put in fear of injury -- including reputational injury from a threatened publication -- to dishonestly induce payment of money or property, with punishment extending to 7 years under Section 308(2).
Criminal complaint under Section 351, BNS (criminal intimidation)
Jurisdictional police station; triable by a Magistrate
The Act separately punishes a threat of injury made to cause alarm or to compel a person to act, or refrain from acting, against their will, with punishment ranging up to 7 years where the threat is of death or grievous hurt under Section 351(3).
Complaint under Section 319, BNS (cheating by personation)
Jurisdictional police station
Where the person pretended to be someone else, or falsely represented a specific media outlet to induce compliance, cheating by personation under Section 319 BNS carries a punishment of up to 5 years and may be added alongside extortion or intimidation charges.
Complaint to the Press Council of India
Press Council of India (print media only)
The Press Council Act, 1978 allows any person to complain against a newspaper, news agency, editor, or journalist for a breach of journalistic ethics, with the Council empowered to hold an inquiry and issue a warning, admonishment, or censure.
Complaint to the News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority
NBDSA (self-regulatory body for TV news and digital news broadcasters)
Where a TV news channel or its digital platform is involved, NBDSA's regulations allow a complaint after the channel itself has first been approached, with the Authority empowered to adjudicate on violations of its Code of Conduct.
Is it extortion if the person just implies they will write something bad about me?
It depends on the facts. Section 308 BNS requires an intentional threat of injury (which includes reputational harm) made to dishonestly induce you to hand over money or property. A vague implication without a clear demand may not meet this threshold, but an explicit 'pay or I publish' demand does.
Can I file an FIR even if I don't know the person's real identity?
Yes. An FIR can be registered against an unknown person, and police can investigate using the evidence of the threat -- phone numbers, social media handles, or recordings -- to identify them.
Is criminal intimidation alone (without an extortion demand) enough to get an FIR registered?
Basic criminal intimidation under Section 351(2) BNS is non-cognizable and bailable, so police may require a magistrate's order before registering an FIR on that charge alone. Where a demand for money or favour is also present, extortion under Section 308 -- which is cognizable -- lets police register an FIR directly.
Does carrying a fake press card make this a separate crime?
Not automatically. There is no licensing requirement to be a journalist in India, so falsely claiming the title is not, by itself, a distinct offence. If the person deceived you into believing they were someone specific to make you act, cheating by personation under Section 319 BNS may apply in addition to extortion.
What can the Press Council of India actually do to the journalist?
The Press Council, under the Press Council Act, 1978, can warn, admonish, or censure a newspaper, editor, or journalist for breach of journalistic ethics, but it cannot award you compensation or impose a criminal penalty -- for that, you need a police complaint.
What if the threat came from a TV channel reporter instead of a newspaper?
Complain to the News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA), the self-regulatory body for TV news and its digital platforms -- but you must first write to the channel itself, and only escalate to NBDSA if there is no response or resolution.
Should I report this to the cyber crime portal too?
Only if the threat or the threatened content is being spread through a computer resource -- WhatsApp, YouTube, social media, or email. In that case, file an additional complaint on cybercrime.gov.in alongside your police complaint; it does not replace the FIR.
What happens if the person actually publishes the damaging content?
At that point, a separate route -- defamation under Section 356 BNS -- becomes available, since publication of false or damaging material is what defamation law addresses, distinct from the extortion attempt itself.
Will the accused get bail easily if arrested for extortion?
Not automatically. Extortion under Section 308(2) BNS is a non-bailable offence, meaning bail is granted at the court's discretion after considering the facts, unlike a bailable offence where it is available as a matter of right.
Governing law: Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, ss.308 (extortion) and 351 (criminal intimidation); BNSS 2023 s.173(1)
Source: Section numbers confirmed against the bare BNS 2023 text and cross-checked against a real fake-journalist extortion case in Hyderabad (Menam Shyam, booked 24 April 2025, reported by Siasat) charged under ss.308(3)/351(3)/352/61(2) read with 3(5) BNS and s.3(2) of the SC, ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. No specific statute criminalizes falsely claiming to be a journalist, since journalism carries no licensing requirement in India -- confirmed directly; only the underlying extortion/intimidation/personation conduct is punishable.
Aadhrix does not decide which route applies to you. This describes the official process as published — consider an advocate for advice specific to your situation.