Why the Government Want to Keep Secret the "Deal" with Journalist Sudhir Chaudhary?

🔮 Journalist Swati Chaturvedi flatly refused to reveal her source to Delhi Police

🔮 How can you file an FIR for revealing the source, then shut down newspapers and TV - Ravish Kumar

New Delhi: The controversy over the alleged 'contract letter leak' of Sudhir Chaudhary, who is being brought to Doordarshan on a huge payment, is increasing. Delhi Police has filed an FIR regarding the 'contract letter leak' and has sent a notice to senior journalist Swati Chaturvedi, who exposed the "deal", asking her about her source. 

That is, the police wants to know where Swati Chaturvedi got the letter of the contract between Prasar Bharati and Sudhir Chaudhary? However, till now no person associated with Prasar Bharati or the government has said that all the information revealed in the contract letter is wrong. This means that there is truth in what Swati Chaturvedi had revealed about the payment being given to Sudhir Chaudhary.

According to the contract letter, senior journalist Sudhir Chaudhary will present a special one-hour program on Doordarshan. This program will be telecast five days a week. The annual cost of this contract is about Rs 15 crore, in which a provision of 10% increase has been kept every year.

On being asked about the source, Swati Chaturvedi replied on X that she will not reveal her source at any cost. In this, she has also tagged Home Minister Amit Shah.Swati wrote, "I have told the Delhi Police officials who wanted to know my source that I would never reveal my source. Amit Shah what a waste of police resources. Stop the loot of tax payer rupees 15 crore gift to jail bird Chowdhary by 

I have told the ⁦@DelhiPolice⁩ officials who wanted to know my source that I would never reveal my source. ⁦@AmitShah⁩ what a waste of police resources. Stop the loot of tax payer ₹ 15 cr gift to jail bird Chowdhary by ⁦@prasarbharati⁩ pic.twitter.com/o092XFKv5O

— Swati Chaturvedi (@bainjal) March 29, 2025

Prasar Bharati.

Earlier, reacting to the FIR filed by Delhi Police on the alleged "contract letter leak", Swati wrote, "Oh no I upset Prasar Bharati & their “secret plan” by exposing the sweetheart deal of Rupees 15 crores to ex jail bird Sudhir Chowdhary. Instead, of cancelling the loot at tax payer expense they have chosen to shoot the messenger & file a police complaint against me.

Oh no I upset ⁦⁦@prasarbharati⁩ & their “secret plan” by exposing the sweetheart deal of ₹ 15 crores to ex jail bird Sudhir Chowdhary. Instead, of cancelling the loot at tax payer expense they have chosen to shoot the messenger & file a police complaint against me pic.twitter.com/Bcf7v1bIDB

— Swati Chaturvedi (@bainjal) March 29, 2025

Raising questions on Delhi Police's FIR, senior journalist Ravish Kumar wrote, 'How can an FIR be filed for revealing the source? Then shut down everything from newspapers to TV. The question is whether the news that has come out is true or false? Is it being denied? When it doesn't matter if the information comes out, then who gave the information, why is a case being filed for this?' Ravish wrote sarcastically, "Instead of wasting the government's time and money, it would be better if the money was doubled and it was said that look, we will do whatever we want."

सोर्स बताने के लिये FIR कैसे कर सकते हैं ? फिर तो अखबार से लेकर टीवी तक बंद कर दीजिए। सवाल है कि जो ख़बर बाहर आई है वो ग़लत है या सही है? क्या इसका खंडन किया जा रहा है? जब सूचना बाहर आने से कोई फर्क नहीं पड़ रहा तो सूचना किसने दी इसे लेकर केस क्यों किया जा रहा है? सरकार का समय और… https://t.co/SUuimeYbBb

— ravish kumar (@ravishndtv) March 31, 2025

Senior journalist Suhasini Haidar wrote, "Why should a journalist be harassed for providing documentary evidence of how Prasar Bharti spent public money?? All journalists, including those hired by Prasar Bharti must condemn this notice by Delhi Police."

Senior journalist Rohini Singh wrote, "This is ridiculous. What was so secret about the document and why are journalists being hounded for mere reporting what Prasar Bharti was planning? This kind of UP govt behavior of hounding journalists that you seem to have got to Delhi isn't going to work with journalists here.

Mansoor Khan wrote, "Prasar Bharti, our taxpayer-funded broadcaster, playing hide-and-seek with contract details? We, the stakeholders, deserve to see the receipts, RTI Act should make that a given. No wonder India's press freedom rank sits at a grim 159/180. Transparency shouldn't be this hard to tune into!"