Zee seeks direction for FIR by CBI against Jindal, others

Zee News today moved a Delhi court seeking direction to the CBI to lodge an FIR against Congress MP Naveen Jindal for allegedly trying to "influence" the hearing before News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) in connection with the case of alleged extortion bid.

In its application before special CBI judge Dharmesh Sharma, Zee News Ltd claimed that during the hearing, NBSA Chairman JS Verma had himself "revealed that Naveen Jindal, Member of Parliament, had telephoned him prior to the hearing to influence/pressurise him for an order favourable to accused number one [Jindal] and his company [JSPL]".

The TV channel, in its petition against Jindal, his firm Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) and its various officials, alleged that the MP had abused his position as a public servant by "telephonically" contacting the NBSA chairman to "influence" him in connection with the hearing of a complaint filed by the firm against the news channel and its officials.

"Thus in order to achieve valuable thing or pecuniary advantage, accused number one [Jindal] by abusing his position as a public servant as Member of Parliament had telephonically contacted the Chairman of NBSA.

"Further Naveen Jindal had attempted with an intention and knowledge to influence the Chairman of NBSA...," the channel said in its petition filed before the court which fixed the plea for consideration on January 14.

"It is, therefore, most respectfully prayed before this court to issue directions to the CBI to register a case FIR against the said accused persons and to investigate the matter and to submit final investigation report/charge sheet in this regard," the petition filed by advocate Vijay Aggarwal said.

According to the petition, Jindal, along with others, had allegedly committed offences under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the IPC, including section 120-B (criminal conspiracy).