TV channel pays price for defaming Ambanis

An Andhra Pradesh TV Channel which dragged in the name of the country richest business group—Reliance, in the death of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash on September 2, 2009 has landed in a legal soup. Two senior journalists of the Telugu television channel TV 5 have been arrested and criminal cases filed against two other channels, after attacks on Reliance groups’ outlets in Andhra Pradesh.

The Telugu channels, including TV 5, NTV and Saakshi TV, were booked on charges of promoting enmity among different groups and indulging in acts prejudicial to harmony under the Cable TV Networks Regulation Act, 1995). CID sleuths picked up Brahmananda Reddy, senior executive editor, and P. Venkatakrishna, input editor of TV 5, from their office, Shreya Broadcasting Pvt. Ltd. amid protests by staff. Earlier, the police searched the office for evidence of the channel’s speculative report alleging a high-level conspiracy involving the Reliance groups in the death of Rajasekhara Reddy.

Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Limited issued a strongly-worded denial. Expressing shock at the ‘libellous’ report, an RIL spokesman said the company was a law-abiding corporate citizen and was grieved at YSR’s tragic death. Separately, Reliance ADA Group of Anil Ambani also denounced the ‘disinformation campaign’ that led to substantial damage to its offices and businesses.

The report on Jan 7 triggered an attack by Reddy’s supporters on business outlets of companies led by Mukesh and Anil, and the two groups separately accused each other of fuelling the allegations.

Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh government has requested the Centre to expedite the CBI probe into the helicopter crash on September 2 last year. Chief Minister K. Rosaiah spoke to Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and urged him to get the CBI investigation expedited as the delay in the process was leading to spread of various "conspiracy theories and causing unrest among people".

Till now, there is no evidence to counter the theory that the copter crash in which Dr. Reddy was killed along with Principal Secretary S Subramanyam, Chief Security Officer ASC Wesley and two captains Group Captain SK Bhatia and Captain MS Reddy, occurred due to bad weather and poor visibility. The twin-engine Bell 430 helicopter’s debris was found at the thick Nallamalla forests range in Kurnool district.

- Asan Tribune -