Zee editors remanded in 2-day police custody

A Delhi court on Saturday remanded Zee News head Sudhir Chaudhary and Zee Business editor Samir Ahluwalia in two-day police custody, even as Zee group head Subhash Chandra and his son were questioned by police.

Alhuwalia and Chaudhury had allegedly demanded Rs 100 crore from JSPL, a company owned by Congress MP Naveen Jindal, to stop airing stories on the organisation’s alleged involvement in the coal scam.
 
“Two days police custody is granted,” Metropolitan Magistrate Ankit Singla said, adding that the police cannot be deprived of the opportunity to collect evidence in the alleged extortion bid. “It was necessary to confront the arrested duo, along with Chandra and his son Puneet Goenka, MD of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.”

“In the present case, the sessions court has directed Chandra and Goenka to join the investigation. Evidence can not be collected if the investigating agency is not given an opportunity to confront the version of all four accused as there are allegations of criminal conspiracy,” the court said.

The court rejected Chaudhury and Alhuwalia’s contention that no purpose will be served by sending them for custodial interrogation.

Meanwhile, Chandra and Goenka appeared before the Delhi Police on Saturday. Chandra, accompanied by his lawyers, arrived at the crime branch police station at Chanakyapuri around 2 pm, while Goenka arrived at 2:30 pm. They were questioned in the presence of Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime and Railways) Sandeep Goel and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Railways) S B S Tyagi. “The questioning went on till late in the evening,” a police officer said.