Cops said they wanted to question top Zee officials to corroborate evidence collected so far. Sources said at least four other members of the group’s editorial board may be asked to join investigations “very soon”. Zee has denied the extortion charges and accused the Jindal group of trying to bribe its journalists.
The two editors, Zee News head Sudhir Chaudhry and Zee Business head Samir Ahluwalia, will be produced in a local court on Friday after their two-day police remand ends. Police are unlikely to seek further custody and the media house has already moved a bail application for them.
Chandra did not join the investigations for the second successive day. Crime branch sources said they would inform the court about this although the investigators are unlikely to seek a warrant for his appearance. In response to a notice send by investigators asking him to join investigations, police sources said Chandra sought more time, saying he is not in the country at present. Chandra is believed to have communicated this immediately after the first notice was sent to him.
TOI tried to contact Zee CEO Alok Agarwal through his secretary Sabina Kadam, but was told that he was in an important meeting. “Since he is our nodal officer who is dealing with the issue, we do not want any other message to reach the media. We will get back to you on Friday,” Kadam said.
Investigators have claimed Chandra’s complicity in the alleged demand for money, saying he knew about the dealings between his employees and the Jindal group. Cops said that the recovery of an “agreement” reportedly forwarded by the Zee editors to the Jindal group – that mentions an ad deal of Rs 25 crore per year for four years – will hold the key to further investigations.
The investigations on Thursday centred on tallying calls made between the two editors and Jindal group officials on four days (September 10, 13, 17 and 19) and verifying the statements given by them. They have claimed that forensic experts had validated the authenticity of the videotape submitted by Congress MP Naveen Jindal, containing purported conversations of the two Zee editors demanding Rs 100 crore for not airing damaging news about the company.
Police to question 5 top Zee officials http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-89EKCgBk8MZdE.gif
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