Jindal shows video clips to ‘prove’ Zee blackmail

Naveen Jindal, chairman and managing director of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) and Congress MP from Haryana, today made public video recordings showing an alleged attempt at extortion by editors of Zee News and Zee Business television stations.

Jindal has been mired for some time in 'coalgate' allegations of making undue profits from captive coal mines allotted to his company, and the Subhash Chandra-promoted news broadcaster Zee News Ltd has been perhaps the most active in highlighting these charges.

The video aired by Jindal at a packed news conference in New Delhi apparently shows the Zee editors seeking money from the steelmaker's employees to stop airing unfavourable reports on the company. Jindal distributed CDs of the sting operation and transcripts of the audio.

JSPL had earlier filed charges in a first information report (FIR) with the anti-extortion cell of the crime branch of Delhi Police, alleging extortion, intimidation and defamation by Zee News. JSPL has alleged Zee News' Editor Sudhir Chaudhary offered to drop the channel's campaign against the company for a Rs100-crore advertising deal.

''The media needs to be above all suspicion. Zee News and Zee Business have endangered the News Broadcasters Association's norms of journalistic conduct. They have made journalism a weapon for extortion,'' Jindal said.

Jindal announced that he was forced to expose Zee News despite the ongoing police investigation as the news channel continued to air reports against JSPL since 19 October after his company refused to sign the deal.