Sunday, 13 April 2014

Zee-Jindal Spat: Court dismisses Sudhir Chaudhary’s plea on Rs 100 crore extortion case


New Delhi : Sh. Sanjay Khanagwal, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM), Patiala House Court, New Delhi, vide its order dated 31.03.2014 dismissed the application filed by Shri Sudhir Chaudhary, Editor and Business Head, Zee News for directions for trial, transfer, clubbing and consolidating together two cases viz. proceedings in the charge sheet filed against Mr Subhash Chandra, Sudhir Chaudhary and Samir Ahluwalia of Zee News Limited by Crime Branch Delhi Police in relation with FIR No. 240 of 2012 lodged by Jindal Steel & Power Limited for the offenses of extortion of Rs 100 crore against them and the proceedings in the criminal defamation case filed against said persons by Jindal Steel & Power Limited.
While dismissing said application, the court held that issue relating to joint trials of two cases forming part of same transaction can be ascertained only on framing of charges. Clubbing of the cases in one court is not going to serve any purpose. Only at the proper stage, applicant can agitate this issue of clubbing of the trial. Otherwise also, in view of law laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, even if the trial is taking place separately of the offense committed in a series of acts is also not illegal. In the present case, it would be premature to jump to conclusion that the offenses alleged are of same transaction or of same kind. In view of above, the present application is not maintainable and is dismissed accordingly.



·         First case relates to an FIR registered in P.S. Crime Branch pertaining to extortion of Rs 100 crore filed by JSPL and subsequent charge sheet filed by Crime Branch of Delhi Police against Zee News Ltd. and its two editors & business heads namely, Mr. Sudhir Chaudhary and  Mr. Samir Ahluwalia including its Chairman, Mr. Subhash Chandra and other officials.

·         Second is a criminal defamation case filed by JSPL 
           ·         Court rejects Sudhir Chaudhary’s (Editor and Business Head, Zee News) plea    to club the two cases

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