Ahmedabad: Several weeks after being accused of extorting ₹10 lakh from a bullion trader, journalist Dirghayu Vyas surrendered before a local court on Wednesday. He was taken into custody by the city crime branch shortly after his surrender.

According to police, Vyas is named in multiple cases involving cheating, extortion, and violations of the Arms Act, while a separate prohibition case has been filed against his father.

Vyas allegedly extorted ₹10 lakh from Nagindas Soni and his business partners. Earlier, he had sought anticipatory bail to avoid arrest, but his plea was rejected by the court.

Latest case filed by another scribe

In another case registered at the Sabarmati police station, woman journalist Janvi Sonaiya, working with the IANS news agency, has accused Dirghayu Vyas of cheating and refusing to return her car, which she had lent to him temporarily.

According to the FIR filed by Janvi, who currently works as a Special Correspondent for IANS and previously served as Managing Editor at Vibes of India, a digital media platform, between 2021 and 2023, she became acquainted with Vyas during that period. At the time, he was working as a crime reporter at the same organization and is now employed with Divya Bhaskar.

In her complaint, Janvi stated that on September 23, 2025, while preparing to travel abroad to China and Japan, she received a call from Dirghayu, who requested her vehicle temporarily, claiming that his own car was at a service center. Trusting him as a former colleague, she agreed and handed over her Hyundai Exter to him the same evening.

Janvi further stated that when she returned home on October 16, 2025, she learned from her father that Vyas had not returned the car. When she contacted him to retrieve her vehicle, Vyas allegedly refused to return it and even issued threats. She also mentioned in her complaint that Vyas is known to carry a gun, which made her fear for her safety.

The complainant alleged that Vyas had violated her trust and failed to return the car despite repeated requests. Acting on the complaint, police have booked Vyas under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) — namely Section 316(2) for criminal breach of trust and Section 351(1) for criminal intimidation. DeshGujarat