We believe we run a newsroom, not a courtroom: India Today Group
The Group released a statement. saying that it will consider appropriate legal recourse against BARC for slapping a fine against the channel
The India Today Group has released a statement, addressing a "malicious campaign" by "a few vested interests", which the group says, has been trying to drag the Group into the on-going TRP scandal. On October 8, the Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh called a press conference, saying that they have found evidence to suggest that some TV channels were manipulating the TRP system.
Although India Today was not named by the Mumbai Police as one of the channels embroiled in the scandal, it later emerged that an FIR with a complaint from an ex-employee of Hansa Research was filed, accusing India Today and other news channels of manipulating TRP data.
The Commission also released a statement: "In the FIR, the name of India Today is mentioned. However, it is not substantiated by any of the accused or witnesses."
The Group blamed the main accused in the ratings manipulation case is dragging India Today's name to deflect the blame to other networks. "The complaint in the FIR is being presented as a result of the investigation when the recorded statement of the police states otherwise. A sustained attempt is underway to make the investigation murky by misrepresenting facts, coercing witnesses and organising fake demonstrations," the Group said.
They also said that BARC has fined India Today without presenting concrete evidence or convening a proper judicial committee. In the statement, India Today said that it will consider appropriate legal recourse against the same.
"At the India Today Group, we believe we run a newsroom not a courtroom. We do not think it is right for journalists to play judge, jury and executioner. We would rather wait for the police to complete their investigation and release the final findings. We welcome any probe the police may wish to conduct and are fully confident that we will come out unscathed as we have not acted in any inappropriate manner. What we have right now is nothing but malicious, unsubstantiated allegations by a vested party," read the statement.
