TRP Scam India: Mumbai police summon Republic TV's executive editor and journalist

Mumbai: The Mumbai Police on Tuesday issued a summons to Republic TV's executive editor and a journalist working with the channel in connection with the fake TRP racket it is probing, an official said.

Niranjan Narayanaswamy, executive editor - news, and journalist Abhishek Kapoor have been summoned by the Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) at 12 noon on Wednesday, he said. On October 10, Republic TV had aired a document, which purportedly belonged to Hansa Research Group and "there are reasonable grounds to believe that the summoned persons are acquainted with certain facts and circumstances of the document and same is required to be ascertained from them", the summons said.

The CIU on Tuesday recorded statements of Pravin Nizar and Nitin Deokar of Hansa agency. The Special Investigation Team of the Crime Branch also visited the office of BARC and made enquiries with some officials including its scientific and technology officer, the police official said.

Vinay Tripathi, arrested by the CIU in the case, has been brought to the city on transit remand and four other accused who were arrested earlier in the case have been sent in police custody till October 16, he said. 

The fake TRP scam came to light when ratings agency Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) filed a complaint through Hansa Research Group, alleging that certain television channels were rigging TRP numbers. Hansa is one of BARC's vendors on engagement with panel homes or people's meters.

Last week, Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh had claimed that Republic TV and two Marathi channels -- Box Cinema and Fakt Marathi -- manipulated TRP. Republic TV rubbished Singh's claims.

IJNet: Journalist of the month- independent multimedia reporter Ahmer Khan, 28 years old

At 28 years old, independent multimedia journalist Ahmer Khan has already been nominated for an Emmy for his work alongside a team of reporters on the film “India Burning.” The film, which is part of a series produced by VICE News and Showtime, spotlights the rise of Hindu nationalism in the country. 

Khan was born and raised in Kashmir, a disputed territory between India and Pakistan. He has been reporting since 2013, when he was still in high school. Since then, Khan has worked on projects for various publications including The New York Times, The Guardian, Radio France Internationale, Time, Buzzfeed and the Los Angeles Times covering conflicts, human rights and natural disasters.

“From natural disasters and humanitarian crises, to human rights, I have done it all. But I'm sure there’s still a long road ahead because I'm only 28,” reflected Khan. 

In 2019, Khan won the Agence France Presse Kate Webb Prize honoring journalists working in difficult conditions in Asia. He also won the 2018 Lorenzo Natali Media Prize after discovering the contest on IJNet. 

Also through IJNet, Khan took part in the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University’s annual four-day crisis zone reporting course. During the program, 16 freelance journalists received training on risk assessment, digital security and emergency first aid to prepare them for reporting in hostile environments. 

We spoke to Khan about his career as a young freelance journalist and his experiences reporting throughout Asia. 

IJNet: How did you begin working as a journalist?

Khan: I was 18-years-old in 2010 and, being from Kashmir, I saw public protests begin happening for the first time. Before this I had only heard about the militancy or public unrest in the 90s, in the early days of my life because I was born ‘92. I started my journey when I was in high school, and in college I did freelance work. [It] started with Al-Jazeera in 2014, and then there was no turning back. In my first year of college I went to Nepal to cover the 2015 earthquake that killed more than 10,000 people over there for VICE News. 

I think the reason I went into journalism was because I saw a lot of trouble in my region in Kashmir, which prompted me to do some sort of reporting to report the truth from our region. I have always worked with international media, which is not as biased as national media in India, and I wanted to be a part of truthful and accurate journalism.

Has growing up in Kashmir affected your work reporting on conflicts?

Having a conflict at home, in your backyard, you tend to learn the trade tricks and what to be aware of. I’ve carried that with me into all my reporting. I've traveled across South Asia to report on other countries, for example, the Rohingya crisis, the crisis in Sri Lanka or Nepal and in mainland India. 

I also need to work on a lot of other stories which are unfolding in front of our eyes because South Asia is rapidly changing in every country right now.

Have any particular stories uniquely impacted you or your work?

I think the crisis which unfolded last August in Kashmir really impacted Kashmiri journalists in the sense that a lot of things have changed for journalists in Kashmir. For example, there's a Kashmiri journalist who was rounded up by police and then assaulted and slapped twice in the police station in the main city of Kashmir.

Because our work had become so restricted, I was traveling in 2019 between Kashmir and Delhi to get information and just to use internet connection because we had no internet at that time for several months. The government set up a small media center in Kashmir for the journalists to use, but there were hundreds of journalists and only four computers — state surveilled computers — allowed for us to use. I decided not to use them and I went to Delhi at least 16 times in the first two weeks. I used to come in the morning and go back in the evening, but we had to wrap up everything by four o'clock in the evening and then take a five o'clock flight because the airport security is a big hassle. It takes hours for us to get through the security check in Kashmir. That was really hard, but my work was awarded a couple of times earlier this year, including by AFP, which really brought me happiness. 

What advice would you offer young independent journalists?

I've always said one thing: “If you're really good, or if the story is really good, it will be sold out no matter who you are or where you are.” 

Editors are always out looking for good stories. Obviously, budget cuts have happened recently, but that's everywhere, not in one part of the world. I think young journalists around the world need to understand that they don't need to think so much about their limitations and instead should think more about their work. Obviously there's a lot of competition out there, but if you believe in yourself, if you believe in your story and if the story is original and you touch the human part of it — because every story has a human part to whether it’s culture, sports, economics, human rights or conflict — I'm really confident that you'll be able to sell your story. 

There's a lot of cutthroat competition out there, there is no denying that, but if you do good stories, I think you’ll go far. courtesy: IJNet

Kashmir-based journalist allegedly beaten and abused at police station for writing a news report accusing the cops

Srinagar, J&K: A journalist, who was summoned by cyber police over his article on alleged intimidation of Twitter users by police, has alleged that he was slapped at the police station and that the SP verbally abused his family.

Auqib Javeed, a Kashmir-based journalist, was summoned on September 18 after his story was published in Article 14, an online portal. In a statement, the Cyber Police Station denied that Javeed was beaten and intimidated. SP Tahir Ashraf Bhatti said the police have already issued a statement. IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar told The Indian Express that “he would personally look into it”

Javeed, an executive member of Kashmir Press Club (KPC), went to the police on September 19 along with two KPC executives. There, he said, he was slapped by a masked policeman. Javeed alleged that SP Bhatti abused him. “He started abusing my mother and sister… He said I had maligned the image of cyber police.”

The police now admit the only thing wrong with the story @AuqibJaveed's wrote for us was that we ran a photo of the old cyber police building.
And for this he was summoned, slapped, abused & detained there for over 5 hours. https://t.co/jZhMK1q27Y

— Article 14 (@Article14live) September 21, 2020

Javeed alleged that Bhatti was upset about the headline of his article and the accompanying picture of the old Cyber Police Station. “I called the editor, who quickly put out the note and tweet about the photograph… We refused to accept that the story itself was ‘fake and baseless’, as the SP insisted it was,” he said.

The Cyber Police Station stated, “The allegations of excesses by police officials/officer, published subsequently by Article-14 and other social media handles are misleading and factually incorrect, hence refuted. (The) writer was called in the Cyber Police Station Kashmir in connection with clarification of facts mentioned in the article…The writer and other accompanying senior journalists regretted the incorrect detail and assured that story will be tweaked accordingly … Later they left for their respective destinations.”

Three years after Tripura journalist Santanu Bhowmik murder, family is still waiting for justice

Agartala, Tripura: Three years after journalist Santanu Bhowmik was hacked to death while covering a political protest at Mandwi village in Tripura, his family is still waiting for justice.

Santanu Bhowmik, a journalist with Channel DinRaat, a local cable television channel, was killed on September 20, 2017. Speaking to indianexpress.com, Santanu’s mother Papri Nag Bhowmik, 55, Sunday said she wants to see her son get justice before she dies. Bhowmik, who serves in a clerical position with the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), said: “My son is gone. I just want to see his criminals brought to justice before I die. What else can I ask for?”

Santanu’s sister Pinki Bhowmik, who was pursuing BSc in Horticulture outside Tripura at the time of his death, has now finished her studies and is staying with her mother. His estranged father Sadhan Bhowmik, who had expressed distrust in the then-Left government’s probe and sought CBI inquiry, could not be reached for comment.

Barely two months after Santanu’s killing, Sudip Dutta Bhowmik, of Syandan Patrika, a local Bengali newspaper, was shot inside Tripura State Rifles (TSR) 2nd battalion headquarters at RK Nagar in West Tripura on November 21. Their murders had been among the key issues on which Tripura’s 2018 Assembly polls were fought.

Then-ruling CPI(M) had accused Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) cadres of being involved in Santanu’s killing. However, IPFT, now a partner in the state government with the BJP, had rubbished the allegations. 

The Left Front government had formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the issue, a move opposed by journalists, who demanded a CBI probe.

This demand found place in the BJP’s Vision Document for the Assembly polls, and shortly after taking charge, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb handed over the case to the CBI. However, two years later, journalists are angry with the slow progress of the investigation. On Sunday, several memorial programmes were held for Santanu, where the demand to bring his killers to book was repeated.

Santanu’s news channel remembered him in a programme Sunday morning. Samir Dhar, Executive Editor of Channel DinRaat, offered floral tributes in memory of the late journalist and said, “We haven’t got justice for Santanu’s death yet. He was working to expose people conspiring to destabilise peace in the state. He was brutally killed”.

A group of journalists under the banner of Tripura Assembly of Journalists (TAJ) held a condolence meeting in Santanu’s memory in front of Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhawan in Agartala.

TAJ Chairerson Subal Kumar Dey said, “Justice for Santanu is yet to come. The entire family is helpless today, though the previous government paid Rs 10 lakh compensation to them. The incumbent government has handed over investigation to the CBI, but is not interested in actual progress.” A separate condolence meeting was held at the Agartala Press Club, where club secretary Pranab Sarkar offered tributes to Santanu.

India: Delhi Journalist Rajeev Sharma arrested on charges of spying, sold sensitive information to Chinese intelligence agencies

New Delhi: A freelance journalist who was arrested on charges of spying two days ago, was allegedly passing on sensitive information to Chinese intelligence agencies, said Delhi police on saturday, claiming to have a busted a major spying operation amid soaring tensions between the two countries.

The Delhi Police said it has also arrested a Chinese woman and her Nepalese associate, and claimed that they were paying huge amounts of money to the freelance journalist Rajeev Sharma for allegedly providing sensitive information."Special Cell has arrested a freelance journalist, Rajeev Sharma, for passing sensitive information to Chinese intelligence. One Chinese lady and her Nepalese associate have also been arrested for paying him large amounts of money routed through shell companies. Chinese intelligence tasked the journalist for conveying sensitive information in lieu of large amounts of money," the police said.

"Huge number of mobile phones, laptops and other incriminating and sensitive material have been recovered," the police said. Mr Sharma, a journalist accredited with the Press Information Bureau (PIB) who lived in Delhi's Pitampura, was arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on Monday.

"He was found to be in possession of some classified defence-related documents. The investigation is in progress and further details will be shared in due course," senior police officer Sanjeev Kumar Yadav had said on Friday.

According to the police, Mr Sharma was getting $1,000 for each piece of information and was paid Rs. 30 lakh in one-and-a-half years. He wrote on defence-related issues for China's Global Times and was contacted by Chinese agents in 2016, the police said.

Sharply criticising the arrest the "well-known independent journalist of long standing", the Press Club of India (PCI) called the move "high-handed" and alleged that it "may be inspired by obscure or questionable considerations".

"This is on account of the dubious track record of the Special Cell. More generally also, the record of Delhi Police is hardly a shining one," it said.

"Of late, Delhi Police, including its Special Cell, have made preposterous arrests under the lawless law called UAPA (Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act) in which the word of the government is enough to keep an innocent person behind bars for long periods. These have happened in matters relating to anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) protests and the carefully designed communal killings in the so-called February 2020 riots in northeast Delhi," the PCI said. 

The arrests come amid a months-long border standoff between India and China in Ladakh that peaked on June 15, when 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the line of duty - a first in more than four decades. Even after that, there have been repeated attempts by the Chinese troops to recapture the heights occupied by the Indian soldiers.

Attorney General KK Venugopal refuses to initiate contempt proceedings against TV journalist Rajdeep Sardesai

New Delhi: Senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai should not be prosecuted for contempt, the attorney general has said, rejecting requests to file a case against the television news anchor for tweets that were accused of criticising the Supreme Court. 

Attorney General KK Venugopal's office had received a request to begin contempt proceedings against Mr Sardesai for his comments on the Supreme Court ruling that found senior advocate Prashant Bhushan guilty of contempt last month. The petitioner had reportedly mentioned a number of tweets by the journalist on the day the court fined Mr Bhushan Rs. 1 for his social media posts on the judiciary and the Chief Justice. 

 Rejecting the request to prosecute Mr Sardesai, the attorney general said, "Trifling remarks and mere passing criticism though perhaps distasteful are unlikely to tarnish the image of the institution." 
Last month, Mr Venugopal declined permission to an advocate to file a contempt plea against actor Swara Bhasker for comments on the Supreme Court's verdict in the Babri Masjid and Ayodhya land dispute case. 

Cases for contempt have drawn increased public interest after lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan was held guilty of the same charge last month that have stoked discussions on free speech and dissent. Mr Bhushan, the court ruled, had crossed a line in making comments about the judiciary.

BREAKING: AG KK Venugopal declines consent for initiation of criminal contempt proceedings against @sardesairajdeep for a series of statements made on Twitter. #CriminalContempt #ContemptofCourt #SupremeCourtOfIndia pic.twitter.com/EnHiAUhPV7

— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) September 17, 2020

Mr Bhushan, in his defence, said he considered his tweets "as an attempt for working for the betterment of the institution", and that open criticism was necessary to safeguard democracy in India. 

The attorney general, who had himself filed a contempt petition in the Supreme Court against Mr Bhushan last year for comments on the appointment of former interim chief of CBI M Nageswara Rao, this time, urged the court to ignore the veteran lawyer's tweets.