Zee News Editor Sudhir Chaudhary files criminal defamation case against Naveen Jindal

The offence is punishable with two years' imprisonment under section 500 IPC. The court has fixed January 3, 2013 for consideration of the complaint

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Delhi | December 24, 2012

Zee News Editor Sudhir Chaudhary filed a case yesterday of criminal defamation against Naveen Jindal and 16 others in the court of Judge Jai Thareja in the Patiala House Courts Campus. The court has fixed January 3, 2013 for consideration of the complaint.

Vijay Aggarwal, Counsel for Chaudhary, said, "My client Zee News Editor Sudhir Chaudhary has filed a complaint under section 499 IPC for criminal defamation which is punishable for two years of imprisonment under section 500 IPC. It was listed before the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Jay Thareja. The judge has heard our arguments and has fixed the same for the purpose of taking cognisance and it would be decided by the judge on January 3, 2013. And after that, if required, the Court would record the evidence of my client and then may summon the accused persons. Then they will have to face the trial for an offence which is punishable for two years.”

The criminal defamation case has been filed against Naveen Jindal, Anand Goel, Haigreev Khaitan, Vikrant Gujral, Ravi Uppal, Arun Kumar Purwar, Ratan Jindal, Sushil Kumar Maroo, Sudarshan Kumar Garg, Inderpal Singh Kalra, Hardip Singh Wirk, Shallu Jindal, Ram Vinay Shah, Arun Kumar, Dinesh Kumar Saraogi, Tej Kishen Sadhu and Rajeev Bhaduria.

In a separate development, the Delhi Police tried to force the two Zee editors, Chaudhary and Samir Ahluwalia (Editor, Zee Business), for a voice sample test and asked them to read the same incriminating line from the transcript which they refused on advice by their counsel.

The prevalent laws on voice sample and handwriting is clear that the accused need not read the same lines; he/she can speak out anything that he/she desires.

The Investigating Officer insisted that the two editors give their denial in writing. On this, the two editors requested the IO to give in writing that he wants them to read the same lines, which the IOfficer refused to do. The behaviour of the IO will be put in front of the court by the lawyers of the two editors, as it is one more confirmation of the one-sided probe being attempted by Delhi Police and premeditated harassment meted out to Zee Group officials.

Chaudhary and Ahluwalia have been falsely implicated in a case relating to a series of exposes in the Coalgate scam involving Congress MP and industrialist Naveen Jindal. The two Zee editors wanted to expose Jindal's template of silencing media coverage of Coalgate through a Rs 100-crore advertisement contract.

Info@BestMediaInfo.com

Info@BestMediaInfo.com