CBI defends raid on NDTV founder Prannoy Roy, press bodies cry foul

The CBI today sought to clarify its decision on carrying out raids against NDTV bosses saying the agency respects freedom of press and the action was taken as per the due process of law.

The statement comes in the wake of various media organisations, including the much-powerful Editors Guild of India, expressing deep concern over the raids conducted by the CBI on the offices of NDTV and its promoters.

"Entry of police and other agencies into the media offices is a serious matter," the Editors Guild statement had said after the raids yesterday.

In an unusually lengthy statement, the agency said it has not conducted any search on the registered office of NDTV, media studio, news room or premises connected with media operations.

"CBI fully respects the freedom of press and is committed to the free functioning of news operations," it said and clarified that the allegations under investigation are not regarding the default in loan repayment.

The allegations "relate to the wrongful gain of Rs 48 crore to the promoters--Prannoy Roy, Radhika Roy, RRPR Holdings Pvt Ltd and a corresponding wrongful loss to the ICICI bank arising from their collusion and criminal conspiracy," the CBI said.

NDTV in its statement yesterday had termed the action of the CBI to register FIR and carry out searches at Roys' as an attempt to muzzle the media.

The ruling party politicians could not "stomach" the "independence and fearlessness" of NDTV's team and the CBI raid is merely another attempt at silencing the media," it had said.

The CBI, while advising restraint, said denigrating the allegations at this stage of probe and wrongly accusing the agency of acting under pressure is uncalled for and an attempt to malign the image of the agency.

"The investigation is being conducted as per the due process of law and under the jurisdiction of the court of law.

The result of investigation will be filed before the competent court of law based on the evidence adduced during investigation," it said.

The agency said it has registered the case based on the complaint of a share holder of ICICI bank and NDTV after carrying out due diligence.

Referring to the statement of NDTV about never having defaulted on any loan, the CBI alleged that the probe would revolve around why ICICI bank took the entire shareholding of the promoters in NDTV (nearly 61 per cent) as collateral and reduced the interest rates from 19 per cent to 9.5 per cent.

Contesting NDTV's questions raised over the jurisdiction of the CBI when ICICI was a private bank, the CBI referred to an order of the Supreme Court in the case of Ramesh Gelli versus CBI of 2016 where the apex court has held that the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 are applicable to the officials of private banks.

"Therefore, CBI has jurisdiction to take up investigation of the cases of private banks," it said and assured the agency was committed to carry out the investigation expeditiously and in accordance with the due process of law.

Press bodies decry move 

Various press bodies today expressed "deep concern" over the CBI raids at the residence of NDTV founder Prannoy Roy, saying they condemn any "attempt" to either "intimidate the media" or put curbs on its freedom."We express grave concern over the raids conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)... on the premises of NDTV promoters.

"While we maintain that all individuals and every institution has to abide by the law of the land, we condemn any attempt to either intimidate the media or put curbs on its freedom," President of the Press Club, Gautam Lahiri said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation had yesterday searched the residence of Roy here and three other locations for allegedly causing losses to a private bank, a move termed by the NDTV as a "witch-hunt" based on "same old" false accusations.

In a strongly-worded statement, the umbrella press body also said, "We hope that all facts of the case, filed by the CBI, will be placed in public domain and the investigating agency will not harass the media organisation or place any kind of hindrance in the news operations of the channel." The Indian Women's Press Corps (IWPC) alleged that the law of the land should not "apply selectively" nor should it be "used as an instrument to harass anyone including the media".

Expressing "deep concern" over the raids, it said, "A statement issued by NDTV seems to suggest that these raids and police entry were 'arbitrary and unwarranted'. Although no one is above the law, arbitrariness and intimidation undermine institutions of democracy and faith in law enforcement agencies.       "

The IWPC urges the government and its institutions to help the media uphold the values of freedom of expression in a democratic society like ours, it said in a statement.

All India Newspaper Editor's Conference condemned the raid, alleging it was clearly a "case of attack on freedom of the press".

Kashmir Editors Guild (KEG) strongly condemned the raids carried out at the residence of Roy, saying it was a "muscular manifestation" of muzzling the independent media.

Politicians weigh in

Earlier, the CPI attacked the Centre over the CBI searches at the residence of NDTV founder Prannoy Roy, alleging that the action was part of the Narendra Modi government's plan to curb freedom of expression.

Condemning the attempts to "muzzle" the media, the Left party insisted that there should not be any interference in the free functioning of news operations from any quarter.

"The party expresses its deep concern over the raids and it is a serious matter. The raid on NDTV is a part of the Modi government's plan to curb freedom of expression," the CPI said in a statement.

The CBI had yesterday carried out searches at the residence of Roy and registered a case against him, his wife Radhika and RRPR Holdings for allegedly causing loss of Rs 48 crore to ICICI Bank.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Tuesday said there was no need for the government to give justification for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raids on NDTV co-founder Prannoy Roy’s residence and called for a separate investigation on former finance minister P. Chidambaram’s role in the same.

‘There is no need for the government to be defensive on this. NDTV is a bunch of crooks and in fact, they now also have to investigate Chidambaram, because the FIPB clearances were, as the FIR says, given by Chidambaram,’ Swamy told ANI.

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu has said there was no political interference in the CBI raids on Roy's properties and the law was taking its course.

Minister of State in the I and B ministry, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, has said that the government was committed to protecting the freedom of expression and freedom of the press and would also ensure that the law of the land prevailed.

With inputs from agencies