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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Extortion Charge: NBSA Sacks Zee News Editor

Extortion Charge: NBSA Sacks Zee News Editor

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published Published on Oct 19, 2012   modified Modified on Oct 19, 2012
-Outlook

Allegations of extortion attempt made against a television channel by a private firm took a new turn today with the Press Council of India (PCI) taking up the issue and a broadcasting body removing an office bearer associated with the channel.

PCI chairperson Justice Markandey Katju today wrote to the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) to probe an alleged extortion attempt by certain people belonging to Zee news from Jindal Steel and Power Limited.

Meanwhile, the Broadcast Editors' Association (BEA) in a statement, announced that it was removing Sudhir Chaudhary, the editor of Zee News, from its membership following the allegations.

But Chaudhary, in a letter to BEA President Shazi Zaman, refuted the allegations saying malicious propaganda had been unleashed against him.

In his letter to NBSA chairperson Justice J S Verma, Katju said that industrialist and MP Naveen Jindal had met him and complained about the alleged extortion demand from officials of the channel for publicising his version.

"It is alleged that they first telecast false news against Jindal as regards allocation of coal blocks and other issues, in order to injure and harm the reputation and business of Jindal, and when Jindal invited them for a discussion to tell them the correct facts Zee officials demanded 100 crore for publicizing the version of Jindal," Justice Katju said.

Katju said that Jindal claimed to have video recordings of these demands for money by officials of the channel.

"I would request you to make a thorough enquiry into the matter at an early date, because if the allegations of Jindal are correct then surely you would agree that strong action is required, because the reputation and honour of a person or Company is an invaluable asset to him or it," he said in his letter to Verma.

The former Supreme Court judge said that he was not expressing his opinion as to whether the allegation of Jindal is true or not, but added that it required an enquiry.

"Since this is a serious allegation relating to media ethics, and since the Press Council has jurisdiction only over the print media, I thought it proper to write to you," Katju said.

Meanwhile, the BEA said that it discussed the report of a three-member fact Finding Committee, comprising N K Singh, Dibang and Rahul Kanwal, in the matter which unanimously concluded "that Mr. Sudhir Chaudhary is found to have acted in a manner that is unbecoming of an editor and in a fashion that is prejudicial to the interest and objects of the BEA".

The statement said that following a secret vote it was decided to remove Mr Sudhir Chaudhary as member of the BEA.

Refuting the allegations, Chaudhary wrote to Zaman, saying that the BEA had relied on the "false, malicious, and distractive propaganda" and fallen prey to the distracting machinations of the prime accused in the 'Coalgate scam', unleashed against him.

"The one-sided pronouncement is bad in law and unfair in the eyes of natural justice," Chaudhary said.


Outlook, 18 October, 2012, http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=778536


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