Soon after the NDTV controversy, the Editors Guild of India, an organisation of editors of newspapers and magazines in India expressed deep concern over the issue. This comes in the wake of raids conducted by the CBI on NDTV co-founder Prannoy Roy’s home.
The official press release by the Editor’s Guild read ” The Editors Guild of India expresses its deep concern over the raids conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the offices of NDTV and its promoters today. Entry of police and other agencies into the media offices is a serious matter. NDTV, in various statements, has denied any wrong doing and termed the raids as “stepping up the concerted harassment” of the news channel and an attempt to “undermine democracy and free speech” and “silence the media.” While the Editors Guild maintains that no individual or institution is above the law, the Guild condemns any attempt to muzzle the media and calls upon the CBI to follow the due process of law and ensure there is no interference in the free functioning of news operations.”
The release was approved by Raj Chengappa, President, Prakash Dube, General Secretary and Kalyani Shankar, Treasurer.
Notably, raids were underway at the residence of NDTV co-founder and executive co-chairperson Prannoy Roy, CBI said on Monday. CBI also filed a case against Prannoy Roy and his wife Radhika Roy, a private company and others for causing an alleged loss to a private bank. As per reports, the case links to a bank loan default of Rs 48 crore taken from ICICI bank. As per the FIR filed, the loan defaulted by NDTV’s Prannoy Roy is for a firm called, RRPR holdings private limited.
Soon after the incident made it to the headlines, NDTV issued a statement saying, “This morning, the CBI stepped up the concerted harassment of NDTV and its promoters based on the same old endless false accusations. NDTV and its promoters will fight tirelessly against this witch-hunt by multiple agencies. We will not succumb to these attempts to blatantly undermine democracy and free speech in India. We have one message to those who are trying to destroy the institutions of India and everything it stands for: we will fight for our country and overcome these forces.”
NDTV Managing Editor Sreenivsan Jain also voiced his opinion on Twitter saying, “Message is clear: any independent voices in media will be bullied and shut down. Black day.”
