A Chhattisgarh court today remanded journalist Vinod Verma, arrested in connection with a case of blackmailing and extortion, in judicial custody for 14 days. The Raipur police produced Verma before Judicial Magistrate First Class Bhavesh Kumar Watti at around 11 am here after his police remand expired today, the journalist's lawyer Faizal Rizvi told reporters. According to the defence counsel, he pleaded in the court that the police does not have any evidence to prove the charges in the case, in which offences have been registered under IPC sections 384 (extortion) and 506 (criminal intimidation). The lawyer said he urged the court to release Verma citing lack of evidence.

Former BBC journalist Vinod Verma at CJM Court in Ghaziabad after being arrested by Chhattisgarh Police. Pic/PTI