NDTV

Allegation of corruption and criminal conspiracy

On 20 January 1998 Central Bureau of Investigation filed cases against New Delhi Television (NDTV) managing director Prannoy Roy, former director general of Doordarshan R. Basu and five other top officials of Doordarshan under Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for criminal conspiracy and under the Prevention of Corruption Act. According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) charge-sheet, Doordarshan suffered a loss of over Rs 35.2 million due to the "undue favours" shown to NDTV as its programme The World This Week (TWTW) was put in 'A' category instead of 'special A' category.^{[5][6][7][8][9][10]}

Radia tapes controversy

In November 2010, OPEN magazine carried a story which reported transcripts of some of the telephone conversations of Nira Radia with senior journalists, politicians, and corporate houses, many of whom have denied the allegations. The Central Bureau of Investigation has announced that they have 5,851 recordings of phone conversations by Radia, some of which outline Radia's attempts to broker deals in relation to the 2G spectrum sale.^[11] The tapes appear to demonstrate how Radia attempted to use some media persons including NDTV's Barkha Dutt to influence the decision to appoint A. Raja as telecom minister.^[12] She always denied her role in this episode with stating her role as simply error of judgment. Barkha Dutt is being investigated by the CBI. Dutt left the channel in January 2017.^[13]

Allegation of tax fraud

NDTV, through its foreign subsidiaries, is alleged to have violated Indian tax and corporate laws.^[14] NDTV has denied these allegations.^[15]

The Sunday Guardian ran a story which exposed the NDTV's financial misdemeanours and malpractices in connivance with ICICI Bank.^[16] provides details of how NDTV's major stakeholders raised funds by misdeclaration of the value of shares in NDTV. NDTV has denied the allegations and the NDTV CEO replied^[17] to the Sunday Guardian along with the threat of "criminal defamation". On 5 June 2017, the House of Prannoy Roy was raided by NIA and CBI.

On 19 November 2015 the ED served ₹2,030 crore (US$280 million) notice to NDTV for alleged violations under the FEMA act,^[18] however the company said it has been advised that the allegations are not "legally tenable".^[19]

The "Income Tax Appellate Tribunal" (ITAT) has upheld an income tax department finding that promoters of NDTV used their own shell companies to round-trip investments of ₹642 crore (US$89 million) during 2009-10, making them liable for recovery of tax and penalty.^[20]

Regarding an investment by the US TV network, NBC (an 80% subsidiary of GE at the time) into NDTV Networks of $150million dollars, both NDTV and NBC/GE insist was an absolutely legal and bona fide investment while the IT department claims it is an illegal transaction. NDTV has called it the Indian Authorities variant of “McCarthyism” to suppress the media. ^[21]

Commonwealth Games contract

On 5 August 2011 Comptroller and Auditor General of India's report on XIX Commonwealth Games was tabled in Parliament of India. In section 14.4.2 of the report, CAG alleged that while awarding contracts worth ₹37.8 million (US$530,000) for production and broadcast of commercials to promote CWG-2010 to NDTV & CNN-IBN, the Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee followed an arbitrary approach. Proposals were considered in an ad-hoc manner, as and when a proposal was received; no form of competitive tendering was adopted. The CAG further said in its report that, "We had no assurance about the competitiveness of the rates quoted by these channels and the need and usefulness of these proposals. From March 2010 to June 2010, the entire pre games publicity and sponsorship publicity was done only on NDTV & CNN-IBN."^[22][23][24]

Suit against TAM India

News broadcaster company sued television audience measurement company, TAM India and its global parent firms for over a billion dollars in the Supreme Court of New York, alleging TAM of manipulating ratings in return for bribes to its officials.^[25]

One-day ban

On November 4, 2016, the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting ordered the channel to go off air on November 9 for allegedly divulging 'strategically sensitive' details while covering January's deadly attack on the Pathankot air base.^[26] Government scrapped their decision on the ban for reasons not made clear.

2008 loan case

On 5 June 2017, the CBI raided premises of channel promoters Prannoy and Radika Roy, accusing it of "causing an alleged loss" to ICICI Bank of ₹48 crore (US$6.7 million).^[27] The complainant, Sanjay Dutt, Director of Quantum Securities Pvt. Ltd., alleged that the Roys took a loan of around ₹350 crore (US$49 million) from ICICI in 2008–09, putting up their shareholdings in the company at an inflated value as collateral. He added that while the amount was repaid the following year, the accrued interest of ₹50 crore (US$7.0 million) remained unpaid.^[28] In its response, NDTV denied any "default on any loan to ICICI or any other bank", while attaching a picture of the bank's 2009 letter that confirmed that the "entire amount due," amounting to ₹375 crore (US$52 million), had "been repaid in full."^[29] It added that, "No matter how much the politicians attack us - We will not give up the fight for freedom and the independence of media in India."^[30]

While the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Venkaiah Naidu denied involvement in the investigation adding that "this government doesn't believe in interfering", media outlets held the union government responsible for breach of the freedom of the press. Praveen Swami of The Indian Express called the raids "a defining moment", comparing them to the Emergency, when the then prime minister, Indira Gandhi imposed censorship and reporting guidelines amid other restrictions.^[31] In its statement, the Editors Guild of India said that it "condemns any attempt to muzzle the media and calls upon the CBI to follow the due process of law and ensure there is no interference in the free functioning of news operations."^[32] N. K. Singh, a former joint director of the CBI, called it unusual for the CBI to conduct a raid on a media organization and said that that scrutinizing the terms of a loan by a private bank was also unorthodox.^[27]