Two Zee Journalists Denied Bail

New Delhi: A Delhi court dismissed the bail plea of two Zee News journalists arrested on an extortion complaint filed by Congress MP Naveen Jindal's company Jindal Power and Steel.

Metropolitan Magistrate Rajinder Singh dismissed the bail plea of the duo, who were sent to 14 days' judicial custody Nov 30.

Sudhir Chaudhary, head of Zee News, and Samir Ahluwalia, head of Zee Business, were arrested here Nov 27 on charges of attempting to extort 100 crore from Jindal Power and Steel  in exchange for not filing news reports linking the firm to the allegedly irregular coal block allocation.

The Jindal Group filed an extortion complaint against them.

Police booked both the journalists under Sections 384 (extortion), 120(b) (criminal conspiracy) and 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Before arresting Chaudhary and Ahluwalia Tuesday, police also charged them under Section 420 (cheating).