TV channel goes off air after CCB raids office

BENGALURU: Central Crime Branch (CCB) police on Monday night raided the office of a regional news channel, which had aired a sting operation related to alleged corruption by family members of a senior politician, and the residence of its managing director. It was based on a complaint filed by the director of a construction company. Police seized hard disks, laptops and the server, and took the channel off air.

Chandrakanth Ramalingam, director of Ramalingam Constructions Company Limited, had filed a complaint with KP Agrahara police on September 24. He had alleged that Rakesh Shetty, MD of Power TV, had claimed that he had links with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and that he could get contracts from Central and state governments.

He also allegedly demanded money and the complainant had given Rs 25 lakh in cash. Later, Shetty allegedly forced him to give the names of a few politicians and claim that his company paid them to get government projects. The same was allegedly recorded and aired on the TV channel.

KP Agrahara police registered an FIR and the case was transferred to the CCB for further probe. 
Police also questioned Shetty and an anchor in connection with the case. “We sent the seized materials to the Forensic Science Laboratory for cyber forensic analysis on Tuesday,” a source in the CCB said.