Digital Desk: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), India's
premier investigative agency for money laundering and combating all economic
crimes, today virtually exonerated Republic TV and Republic Bharat, English and
Hindi news channels owned by popular news anchor Arnab Goswami.
After clearing Arnab Goswami's Republic TV and Republic
Bharat, the Enforcement Directorate stated that after combing through all of
the accusations and evidence, it was discovered that no such evidence was
forthcoming in the statements of the accused or witnesses. The digital data
evidence was also deemed insufficient for a case to be registered. The ED was
also dissatisfied with the Mumbai Police investigation into Arnab Goswami and
his channels.
The agency charged 16 other private television channels and
a market research firm with alleged money-laundering charges in the sensational
TRP scam that erupted two years ago, with popular anchors like Arnab Goswami
frequenting the ED's office and being grilled for hours. Notably, the ED charge
sheet was filed on behalf of Assistant Director Pawan Kumar before the Special
PMLA Court in Mumbai on September 26 and has sought, among other things, the
initiation of proceedings to confiscate the provisionally attached properties
of all the accused as stipulated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act,
as they were purchased with the proceeds of the crime.
Shirish V. Pattanshetty and Manish R. Sangh, both owners of
the 'Fakht Marathi' channel and their company Lotus Enterprises, Narayan N.
Sharma, owner of the 'Box Cinema' channel and his company Box Cinemedia Pvt.
Ltd., Vishwajeet O. Sharma and Darshan B. Singh, both owners of the 'Mahamovie'
channel and their company Telephone Consumers Product Pvt. Ltd
Bompally Rao Mistry of Sanch Media, Umesh C. Mishra, Vishal V. Bhandari, Dinesh P. Vishwakarma, Vikas V. Burungale, Ashwin C. Motiwale, Mahesh S. Bompalli, and Rajesh K. Vishwakarma were also named in the charge sheet (all ex-employees of Hansa Research Group). The ED has requested that the Special Court issue a process against all accused individuals (for arrest), confiscate their movable and immovable assets, seize their passports, and so on.
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