Delhi police want to test if Subhash Chandra is lying
11 Dec 2012 7:07 AM IST
The new turn in the Zee-Jindal story may have serious implication for the Indian media. The Delhi police have reportedly sought to conduct a lie detector test on Zee Group chairman Subhash Chandra and his two editors, accused in the alleged Rs 100 crore extortion bid from Naveen Jindal’s firm. The trio were issued notices by a Delhi court on Monday, which sought their response on the police’s plea.
It is widely known, though scarcely reported, that media persons are often investigated and arrested by the police, sometimes merely for doing their job right. The Delhi police plea to put Chandra and editors through lie detector tests may give the police a new tool to target the media with.
Meanwhile, metropolitan magistrate Sudhanshu Kaushik sought the response of Chandra and Zee News head Sudhir Chaudhary and Zee business editor Samir Ahluwalia on 12 December, while remanding the two editors to judicial custody till 22 December.
‘Since the investigating officer has not sought their further custody, they are remanded to judicial custody till December 22,’ the court said.
Zee News alleges ‘one-sided’ probe by the police. The group also ‘denies any question’ of Zee News non-executive chairman Chandra instructing employees on any matter related to Jindal.
In a statement on Monday, Zee News said its counsel Vijay Aggarwal moved an application invoking Section 156 of the CrPc alleging that Delhi police conducted a ‘one-sided investigation’.
‘Zee News demands interrogation of Naveen Jindal, his brother Prithvi Jindal and uncle Sitaram Jindal. Zee News counsel also moves court asking it to monitor the investigation as Delhi police is focusing solely on the false complaint by Naveen Jindal,’ it said.
The news channel has also demanded that the call records of all the phones used by Jindal and his relatives to contact Zee News non-executive chairman should be seized.
The statement said the counsel also urged the court to instruct the investigating officer to compare contradictions in Jindal’s FIR of 2 October 2012 and his petition filed in Mumbai high court.
On Sunday, Chandra said that he will file a defamation case against Jindals. Earlier, Chandra was questioned by Delhi police for the second day on Sunday.
It is widely known, though scarcely reported, that media persons are often investigated and arrested by the police, sometimes merely for doing their job right. The Delhi police plea to put Chandra and editors through lie detector tests may give the police a new tool to target the media with.
Meanwhile, metropolitan magistrate Sudhanshu Kaushik sought the response of Chandra and Zee News head Sudhir Chaudhary and Zee business editor Samir Ahluwalia on 12 December, while remanding the two editors to judicial custody till 22 December.
‘Since the investigating officer has not sought their further custody, they are remanded to judicial custody till December 22,’ the court said.
Zee News alleges ‘one-sided’ probe by the police. The group also ‘denies any question’ of Zee News non-executive chairman Chandra instructing employees on any matter related to Jindal.
In a statement on Monday, Zee News said its counsel Vijay Aggarwal moved an application invoking Section 156 of the CrPc alleging that Delhi police conducted a ‘one-sided investigation’.
‘Zee News demands interrogation of Naveen Jindal, his brother Prithvi Jindal and uncle Sitaram Jindal. Zee News counsel also moves court asking it to monitor the investigation as Delhi police is focusing solely on the false complaint by Naveen Jindal,’ it said.
The news channel has also demanded that the call records of all the phones used by Jindal and his relatives to contact Zee News non-executive chairman should be seized.
The statement said the counsel also urged the court to instruct the investigating officer to compare contradictions in Jindal’s FIR of 2 October 2012 and his petition filed in Mumbai high court.
On Sunday, Chandra said that he will file a defamation case against Jindals. Earlier, Chandra was questioned by Delhi police for the second day on Sunday.
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