Miscreants torch news channel's vehicle, assault staffers

Lucknow, Mar 7 (UNI) Four unidentified miscreants this afternoon torched the vehicle of a private news channel and assaulted its two staffers here.

CNN-IBN journalists said their vehicle was torched by four motorcycle-borne men near Peekay Bhawan in the busy Hazratganj area.

Before torching the vehicle, the assailants beat up two non-journalist staffers.

''An assistant has been rushed to hospital with serious injuries...they wanted to throw him inside the burning car,'' the journalists claimed.

While, the channel will soon move police to register a case, cops were still tight-lipped about the motive behind the attack.

A channel broadcast maintained the attack came close on the heels of former UP chief minister and BSP supremo Mayawati serving a legal notice to it for a news story telecast and put on its website ''UP's Dalit Queen turns Crorepati.'' The BSP chief claimed the story contained ''distorted, manipulated and fabricated information and clippings.'' The notice calls upon the CNN-IBN to pay Rs 10 crore as damages to Mayawati, failing which, she would initiate legal proceedings against the channel.

UNI NAB VS sb nd1442