Editors Guild expresses concern over raids on NDTV founder

The Editors Guild of India on Monday expressed concern over the raids conducted by the CBI on the premises of NDTV network's premises and houses of its co-founder Prannoy Roy, saying it "condemns any attempt to muzzle the media".

The Guild also called upon the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to follow the "due process of law".

In a statement, Guild's President Raj Chengappa said: "The Editors Guild of India expresses its deep concern over the raids conducted by the CBI on the offices of NDTV and its promoters today (Monday)."

"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'," said the statement.

"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 statement added.

In a move that sparked outrage and which NDTV said was "a blatant political attack on the freedom of press", the CBI on Monday conducted searches at the houses of the news network's co-founder Prannoy Roy for allegedly causing financial losses to a private bank.

The CBI registered a case against Roy, his wife Radhika, a private company and conducted searches at his south Delhi residence in Greater Kailash-I and his house in Dehradun for "loss of Rs 48 crore to ICICI Bank", officials said.

--IANS

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