News Analysis India

Tag: Times Group

  • Hemant Soren drops plea against arrest after SC questions ‘conduct’

    The Supreme Court on Wednesday criticised Hemant Soren for his “blameworthy conduct” of not disclosing complete facts in a plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) even as the former Jharkhand chief minister’s counsel withdrew the plea.

    A vacation bench headed by Justice Dipankar Datta verbally observed that Soren had availed “parallel remedies” by filing two separate pleas, one challenging his arrest and another seeking bail, but did not disclose it to the top court.

    Soren also did not disclose that his regular bail already stands dismissed by the trial court, the bench observed.It disapproved of the “crafty drafting” of Soren’s petition and told senior advocate Kapil Sibal that the court expected “some candour from your client”.AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesSibal said it was his own mistake and not of Soren. “It is my personal fault and not of my client,” he told the bench. “The client is in jail and we are lawyers acting for him. Our intention was never to mislead the court and we have never done it.”Speaking for the bench, Justice Datta verbally observed that it appears that “the person in custody is not acting with bona fide”.To this, Sibal responded that Soren “is not in touch with us. It is not his (Soren) fault at all”.Sibal withdrew the plea after the bench said it would dismiss the same.

    Pointing out factual dissimilarities between the case of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Soren, both challenging their arrest by Enforcement Directorate (ED), the apex court on Tuesday had sought to know whether Soren’s plea would be maintainable especially after his regular bail has been rejected and the fact that a special court has taken cognisance of a prosecution complaint (equivalent of a charge sheet) filed by ED against Soren and other accused.

  • Jammu & Kashmir: After high voter turnout in Lok Sabha polls, CEC now ‘encouraged’ to ‘go for assembly polls at the earliest’

    The Election Commission of India is “encouraged” by high voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir and will move towards holding assembly polls in the Union Territory “at the earliest”, chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar has said.In a first such statement, the CEC told ET that ECI was “heartened” and “more confident” of holding polls in the Union Territory and would start work on it right after the Lok Sabha elections.”The commission is encouraged to go for assembly polls in the Union Territory at the earliest possible. For the same, the process will be initiated soon after parliamentary elections,” Kumar told ET.”While I would like to thank the electors of J&K for coming out to vote, they have also sent out a clear message. The people of J&K are eager to exercise their franchise and feel invested in the democratic ethos and system of governance. The poll panel is deeply encouraged by the voter turnout in Lok Sabha polls and will work towards holding assembly polls at the earliest,” he said.AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesThe CEC’s reaction came hours after Baramulla parliamentary constituency reported a record turnout on Monday. Phase 4 turnout in Srinagar constituency at 38.49% was highest in many decades.In his March 16 press conference when schedules for Lok Sabha elections were announced, CEC had asserted that ECI was committed to holding assembly polls in J&K soon after the parliamentary polls and before the September 30 deadline set by the Supreme Court.

  • Times Group chairperson Indu Jain passes away at 84 due to COVID-related complications

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Times Group chairperson Indu Jain died on Thursday due to Covid-related complications, company sources said. She was 84.

    Hailing her as a visionary, Times Now TV channel, part of the Times Group, described Jain as a lifelong spiritual seeker, pioneering philanthropist, distinguished patron of the arts, and passionate proponent of women’s rights.

    She breathed her last in Delhi, the sources said.

    As tributes poured in for her from statesmen, captains of industry and spiritual masters, friends and admirers spoke fondly of her unquenched youthful spirit, zest for life, and determination to make the world a better place.

    After becoming chairman of the Times Group in 1999 she evolved a distinctive leadership style, characterised by compassion and inclusiveness, that helped propel the group to new heights.

    She set up The Times Foundation in 2000, with sustainable development and transformational change as its key goals.

    Saddened to hear the sad demise of Smt. Indu Jain Ji, Chairperson of Times Group – a renowned philanthropist and lifelong spiritual seeker. My heartfelt condolences to @vineetjaintimes ji & entire Times Family.She will always be remembered for compassion, benevolence & kindness pic.twitter.com/KlBvbDeNN1
    — Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) May 13, 2021

    One of India’s most respected non-profits, it provides community services and runs the Times Relief Fund to offer assistance during cyclones, earthquakes, floods, epidemics and other crises.

    She was the founder president of FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), established in 1983 to promote entrepreneurship and professional excellence among women in India.

    From 1999, she also served as chairperson of Bharatiya Jnanpith Trust, founded in 1944 by Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain, her father-in-law, to promote literature in Indian languages.

    The Jnanpith Award, conferred by the Trust annually, is acknowledged to be the most prestigious honour for authors writing in Indian languages.

    She was also the guiding force behind the Oneness Forum, launched in 2003 to promote unity in the world.

    The MahaviraMahatma award was instituted under the aegis of the Forum to promote Mahatma Gandhi’s principle of ahimsa (non- violence).

    “Saddened by the demise of Times Group Chairperson Smt. Indu Jain Ji. She will be remembered for her community service initiatives, passion towards Indias progress and deep-rooted interest in our culture. I recall my interactions with her. Condolences to her family. Om Shanti,” tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    Saddened by the demise of Times Group Chairperson Smt. Indu Jain Ji. She will be remembered for her community service initiatives, passion towards India’s progress and deep-rooted interest in our culture. I recall my interactions with her. Condolences to her family. Om Shanti.
    — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 13, 2021

    A lifelong philanthropist, one of her last wishes was to donate her organs.

    Sadly, the complications caused by coronavirus meant that the wish could not be fulfilled, the sources said.

    She received many honours, including the Padma Bhushan in 2016.

    She was conferred a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India in 2019, an award for Lifetime Contribution to Media by the All India Management Association in 2018, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Indian Congress of Women.

    In 2000, she also addressed the United Nations at the Millennium World Peace Summit.

    As chairperson of Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd, which owns the Times of India newspaper, she is credited with infusing new energy into the growth of India’s largest media house.

  • Times Group sends legal notice to BARC, demands Rs 450 crore in damages

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Media giant Times Group on Sunday said it has sent a legal notice to Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), alleging the TV rating agency “deliberately reduced” its English news channel’s viewership at the behest of a rival launched in 2017 and demanded compensation of Rs 450 crore.

    The notice, which follows the probe by the city police into the fake TRP case, in which former officials from BARC and the Arnab Goswami-promoted Republic News have been arrested, was sent by MZM Legal LLP on behalf of Bennett, Coleman and Co (BCCL) on February 11.

    “Times Now’s viewership numbers were deliberately and in a concerted manner, reduced for giving benefit to the newly launched Channel, which has considerably and adversely impacted the revenue, growth, reputation, goodwill, and image of Times Now channel and the Times Group at the national and international level,” the notice, a copy of which was seen by PTI, said.

    It also said that the BARC wilfully and deliberately did not take action on the findings of a July 2020 report commissioned following whistleblower allegations about TRP (television rating points) manipulation.

    When contacted, BARC declined to comment on the story.

    The notice said BARC should compensate Times Group with Rs 431 crore in damages and also pay back license fees of Rs 21.83 crore which has been paid by the group till date.

    The notice, which follows alleged chats between the arrested former chief executive of BARC Parto Dasgupta and Republic’s promoter and editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami, said BARC should also publish a statement stating that Times Now was the leader in the English news genre between 2017-2019.

    Mentioning details from the chat between Goswami and Dasgupta where both speak about suppressing Times Now’s numbers, the notice also demanded the BARC to publish Acquisory Risk Consulting’s forensic audit report dated July 24, 2020, and also initiate disciplinary action against errant broadcasters/channels and BARC officials involved in the fraudulent activities.

    Giving seven-days time to comply, the legal notice warned that the media group will be constrained to adopt criminal and also civil action against the BARC.

    It also quoted from a press conference by the joint commissioner of police (crime) in December 2020, which said that apart from English news genre TRP manipulation also happened in the Telugu news channels category.

    “The press conference makes it evidently clear that activities resulting in viewership malpractices and TRP manipulation were undertaken by BARC with a malafide intention to biasedly cause wrongful losses to some of its subscribers whilst other co-conspiring subscribers benefitted of the malicious acts,” the legal notice said.