Bangalore: Airtel Chairman, CEO booked for alleged extortion bid

Bangalore: Police have filed an FIR against Managing Director & Chairman, CEO and other officials of Bharti Airtel Limited on a complaint alleging "extortion" and "life threat" to an advocate here, a customer of the firm. The complaint was filed on Monday by retired High Court Judge Jayarama Chouta, the advocate's father, following which police said that they filed the FIR against the firm's senior officials and five other employees under the Information Technology Act-2000.

Company officials here declined to make any comments on the development. The FIR was filed under various IPC sections, including 507 (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 384 (extortion), 386 (extortion by putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt), 503 (criminal intimidation) and 268 (public nuisance).

The complainant alleged that his son Sandesh J Chouta, a practising advocate in Karnataka High Court, received an "arbitrary" bill of around Rs 50,000. He further alleged that after a complaint was lodged with the Consumer Forum his son had been receiving "obscene, threatening calls from a landline, where the caller identified himself to be a collection agent of Airtel".

An advocate was reportedly being threatened after he dragged the company to court over an \'arbitrary\' bill.

(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)