UP assembly summons news channel chief for contempt

Lucknow, Oct 11 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh assembly today summoned CNN-IBN news channel head Rajdeep Sardesai to be present in the house on October 27 in connection with contempt of house for not cooperating with the probe into a sting operation conducted by the channel in February last.

Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey announced Sardesai would be summoned in the house on October 27 under police custody, after the house unanimously resolved on contempt against the house for not appearing in person or handing over the original CD to the house committee probing the sting operation involving three sitting MLAs.

In the presence of Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, the entire house took strong expection to the channel's role for its non-coperation into the probe.

''How can the committee punish the three erring MLAs without proper evidence,'' BJP member Laxmikant Bajpayee observed.

The 11-member committee on September 14 presented its interim report recommending summoning the channel head.

Committee head P K Rai said even after several requests, Sardesai did not appear before the committee nor supplied the original CD of the sting operation.

On February 15, news channels CNN-IBN and Channel 7 had telecast the sting operation on three MLAs Mahboob Ali (SP), Somaru Ram Saroj (BJP) and Anil Kumar Maurya (BSP), who were purportedly shown indulging in corrupt practises including hawala and drug peddling.

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