Naveen Jindal says sting shows extortion bid by Zee

Speaking to reporters for the first time after his company filed an FIR with the Crime Branch of Delhi Police on October 2,Jindal accused the media group of extortion attempt and wilful defamation.

The original footage,reportedly comprising audio and video clips recorded by JSPL executives using spy cameras,was submitted with the FIR and sent for forensic verification by the police. The forensic reports have not come yet.

The matter was under investigation,so we had decided not to speak to the media. But Zee has been misusing their platform and running one-sided negative reports against us and making all kinds of allegations8230;we,therefore,decided to present our side of the story and release this footage so that the people can make the right judgement, said Jindal.

While the total recording reportedly runs into two-and-a-half hours,about 15 minutes of the footage was released today.

In this,JSPL executives are heard telling Chaudhary and Ahluwalia that Zee had earlier asked for Rs 5 crore per year for four years. 25 crore per year for four years8230;. ho sakta hai ki humare kehne sunane mein kuch idhar udhar ho gaya ho there may have been a communication gap, Ahluwalia is heard replying.

A JSPL executive then asks how they propose to undo the damage done to Jindals image. 8230;humne to apna aapko roadmap de diya ki ji hum yeh arrangement kar denge8230; aapne koi planning banai hai ki isko theek kaise karenge? 8230;we have given you our roadmap,that we will go ahead with this arrangement8230;. have you planned anything on how you will fix this? he asks.

Sabse badi protection to yeh hoti hai ki iske baad koi negative nahin aayega8230; Second,phir ye hai ki phir sochenge ki kya kaise karna hai,kaun see cheez upar dalni hai,kaun see cheez neeche dalni hai The biggest protection is that after this no negative report will be aired. Second,we will then decide on our future course of action, Chaudhary purportedly replies.

The logic which works is this8230;this module works8230;pay model8230;you are one of the clients,to channel bhi8230;management bhi8230;ye rakhta hai ki theek hai yaar,they are friends8230;uske baad ek association ban jaati hai8230;tab hota hai yeh sab8230;nahin to8230; the channel and management accept you as a friend,an association is formed8230; then all this will be possible8230; otherwise8230;, Chaudhary is heard saying.

The two Zee executives are also heard assuring JSPL officials that their arrangement will apply to all the channels owned by Zee Ltd as well as DNA,the English newspaper owned by one of the Essel Group companies.

Ahluwalia also alleges that a leading newspaper takes money for its front page stories. 8230;At least we are doing a proper transparent deal with you8230;at least we are not doing front page story which is paid, he says.

Rubbishing Jindals allegations,Chaudhary and Ahluwalia said the footage released by him was edited/ doctored. We see this as a deliberate attempt to malign and to defame us, they said in a joint statement. To suppress the coverage that Zee News was telecasting on coalgate,Corporate Communications team from JSPL first tried to bribe Samir Ahluwalia with Rs 25 cr,which he declined straightway8230;Undeterred,the JSPL team offered Zee News and Zee Business an advertising deal of Rs 100 crore to somehow stop the coverage on air, said the statement.

Zee News also aired portions of Jindals press conference accompanied by a live discussion between Chaudhary and Ahluwalia in which the two editors trashed his statements.

Jindal,meanwhile,has decided to file a defamation case against Zee Group and has sought termination of the licences given to the two news channels.

TIMELINE

The sequence of events according to Jindal:

Sept 7: Zee News started targeting JSPL in its reports on the coal block row.

Sept 10: A JSPL executive met Zee Business editor and business head Sameer Ahluwalia to respond to the allegations. Ahluwalia allegedly asked for an advertising deal of Rs 20 crore for four years.

Sept 11: A Zee team interviewed Naveen Jindal but did not air it

Sept 13,17,19: JSPL executives met the two Zee editors,in which the latter reportedly demanded Rs 100 crore spread four years.

Sept 13-20: Zee stopped negative reports while the negotiations were on.

Sept 24: Zee resumed negative reports after JSPL didnt sign the deal.