Court order on Zee scribes’ bail pleas Monday

New Delhi  :  A Delhi court has reserved till Monday its order on the bail pleas of two Zee TV journalists arrested on an extortion complaint filed by Congress MP Naveen Jindal, who owns Jindal Power and Steel Ltd.

Additional Sessions Judge Raj Rani Mitra Saturday reserved the order after counsel for the journalists and police concluded their arguments on the bail pleas.

Police opposed the bail pleas of the accused journalists saying that “bail could be misused” by them.

Special Public Prosecutor Rajiv Mohan, appearing for police, said that journalists should not be granted bail.

Sudhir Chaudhary, head of Zee News, and Samir Ahluwalia, head of Zee Business, both in judicial custody, were accused of demanding Rs.100 crore from the Jindal Group in the form of advertisements to the channel.

Police booked both the journalists under Sections 384 (extortion), 120(b)(criminal conspiracy) and 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Before arresting Chaudhary and Ahluwalia, police also charged them under Section 420 (cheating).