Hundreds of journalists came together on Friday to protest against recent CBI raids on the homes and offices of NDTV promoter Prannoy Roy, saying the investigation against him in an alleged bank fraud was reminiscent of the attack on press freedom during the Emergency.
Veteran editors Kuldeep Nayar and HK Dua, senior jurist Fali Nariman and former BJP minister Arun Shourie were among the speakers who defended Roy and his TV channel at the two-hour event at the Press Club of India.
Roy, his wife Radhika and a private company linked to NDTV – RRPR Holding Private Ltd – are accused of defrauding ICICI Bank of Rs 48 crore on a loan taken in 2008. The CBI searched four places belonging to the Roys in Delhi and Dehradun on Monday.