The legal troubles of two Chhattisgarh-based YouTubers, Sagar Sahu and Pushpraj Singh, have deepened after police registered a second First Information Report (FIR) against them on allegations of blackmail and extortion. The case stems from a complaint filed by a woman who alleged that the duo demanded money to remove defamatory videos uploaded on social media.

The accused are already lodged in jail in connection with an earlier case linked to the circulation of an alleged fake Instagram chat purportedly involving former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

According to police, the latest FIR was registered at Purani Bhilai Police Station following a complaint by Neha Mishra, a resident of Umda village who has been operating a Customer Service Centre (CSC) for the past five years.

In her complaint, Mishra alleged that the two YouTubers had visited her centre under the pretext of getting an Aadhaar card photocopied. She claimed that during the visit, they recorded conversations and later edited the footage in a misleading manner before publishing it on social media.

The videos allegedly accused her of defrauding customers by using their thumb impressions to withdraw money from their bank accounts. Mishra has denied the allegations, claiming that the content was distorted and presented out of context.

The complainant further alleged that on June 3, the accused demanded ₹50,000 in exchange for deleting the videos. Fearing damage to her reputation, she claimed to have paid ₹35,000 from her personal savings. According to her statement, the videos were removed after the payment was made.

However, Mishra alleged that the matter did not end there. She claimed the accused later demanded an additional ₹2 lakh, threatening to upload fresh videos and continue defaming her if the money was not paid.

She further alleged that after she refused to meet the fresh demand, the accused uploaded more than three additional videos targeting her. The repeated circulation of the content, she said, severely affected her social reputation and made it difficult for her to continue operating her customer service centre.

Based on the complaint and preliminary verification, Purani Bhilai police registered a case against Sagar Sahu and Pushpraj Singh under Section 308(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police officials said the investigation is currently underway and further legal action will be taken based on the evidence collected.

This is the second criminal case registered against the duo within a short span. Around nine days earlier, another FIR was filed over the circulation of a purported Instagram chat allegedly involving former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Saurabh Chandrakar, who has been identified by investigative agencies as a key accused in the Mahadev betting app case.

The viral screenshot claimed to show a message sent from an account bearing Bhupesh Baghel's name stating, "Send your number, want to talk." The screenshot was widely circulated on social media and featured in content published by the two YouTubers.

Following the controversy, Congress workers staged protests at Bhilai-3 Police Station, demanding action against those responsible for spreading what they described as fabricated content.

Bhupesh Baghel had categorically rejected the alleged chat as fake and accused unidentified persons of attempting to tarnish his public image. He had also announced that his legal team would initiate appropriate legal proceedings against those involved in creating and circulating the content.

With two FIRs now registered against the accused, police are examining both cases independently while continuing to gather documentary and digital evidence as part of the ongoing investigation.