Jindal extortion case: Zee chief, MD get interim bail

Zee Group Chairman Subhash Chandra and Managing Director Puneet Goenka have been given interim bail till December 13 by a Delhi court in the case of alleged Rs 100 crore extortion bid by two editors of Zee News. While grating the bail to the duo on Thursday, the court said that the anticipatory bail plea would be taken up on December 14.

As per the court's orders, the passports of Chandra and Goenka have to be deposited. The duo has also been asked to join investigation whenever the investigation officer requires them to do so. The Crime Branch of Delhi Police, which is probing the case, had on Wednesday said that Zee News head Sudhir Chaudhary and Zee Business Editor Samir Ahluwalia, who are presently in judicial custody, are required in its custody to quiz them in front of Chandra and Goenka on December 8.

Both of the arrested journalists, presently lodged in Tihar have been booked under section 384 (extortion), 420 (cheating), 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment) of the IPC.

Till date, Zee News Sales Head Amit Tripathi, Managing Director of Dish TV Jawahar Goel and Zee Group Legal Advisor A Mohan have joined the investigation and recorded their statements, while Chandra and Goenka are likely to join the investigation soon.