Pushp Sharma is an investigative journalist known for exposing the malaise of paid news in the Indian media industry through the sting operation series code-named "Operation 136" that he conducted for Cobrapost. The investigation revealed how some of India's biggest news organizations and media houses were ready to influence the elections by favouring a party and by planting false news items against the opposition in exchange for money.[1][2][3][4]
The undercover investigation 'Operation 136:Part 1', released on 26 March 2018, exposed 17 media houses. But only some videos of 'Operation 136: Part II' were released due to a restraining order brought by the Delhi High Court on the plea of Dainik Bhaskar, one of the media houses stung during the investigation.[5]
Pushp Sharma has been the recipient of the International Press Institute Award (Vienna) for ‘Excellence in Journalism’ in year 2011 for his story 'Rent a Riot', published in Tehelka, which exposed Sri Ram Sene's leadership agreeing to organize a riot in exchange for money.[6][7][8]