Writeback

As is evident from your article, the money owed to Doordarshan is to be recovered from Western Cooperative Bank, Mumbai, an RBI approved cooperative bank that appears to have defaulted.

The facts of the case are as follows: I was one of the directors of a company called Integral Productions owned by my friend Irfan Khan that produced a sponsored programme called Truck Dhina Dhin. The programme was aired by Doordarshan in the sponsored category. Despite its popularity, Integral Productions was unable to effectively market the programme leading to a financial loss to the company running into crores of rupees.

Unlike other producers who run away when they owe Doordarshan money, Integral Productions paid every single rupee owed to Doordarshan. This fact has been stated on affidavit by Doordarshan before the Hon’ble Delhi High Court.

Stellar Communications was the releasing agency appointed by Integral Productions to sell ‘‘air time’’. Contrary to what your article reports, Integral Productions never ‘‘sub-contracted’’ the program to Stellar. The letter written by Irfan Khan and mentioned in your article is a proforma requirement authorising Stellar to place the bank guarantee — it is not a letter of sub-contract.

The bank guarantee was furnished on behalf of Stellar by Western Cooperative Bank. The same bank was routinely doing business with Doordarshan and had given bank guarantees on behalf of other releasing agencies and producers.

Bank guarantees are accepted by Doordarshan as per rules and guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India. Why Doordarshan was doing business with an ‘‘unstable bank’’ and why RBI was permitting this, is really a question for Doordarshan or RBI to answer . Obviously, I do not figure in this.

I would like to reiterate that the amounts referred to in your article are owed by Western Cooperative Bank to Doordarshan. No money is owed to Doordarshan by me, any member of my family or any company with which I am associated.

I have absolutely nothing to do with the case filed by the Delhi Police. My father had nothing to do with the matter. Despite this, you have chosen to hurt me and my family.
Rahul Mahajan

Sir,
Ritu Sarin had approached me to know about the details of the case registered on the complaint of Prasar Bharti against the officials of Western Cooperative Bank Ltd. She had generally enquired about the investigation and wanted to know the latest about the case. She was apprised of the arrest of M.D. Vyas, Chairman of Western Cooperative Bank Ltd. She was also told that the investigation was still in progress.

However, the words she has attributed to me actually have been twisted. In fact, this gives an impression as if investigation had been concluded and the collusion, as suggested, has been proved. During my conversation, I made it clear to her that the investigation was in progress and it is being pursued on the basis of the clues and evidence emerging in the investigation.

Dinesh Bhatt
Deputy Commissioner of Police
Economic Offences
Wing, Crime, Delhi

Ritu Sarin replies:

The report was based on a criminal case registered by the Delhi Police and the fresh evidence received by them. Among the documents with the police is the correspondence exchanged between Integral Communications, of which Rahul Mahajan was a director, and Prasar Bharti, authorising Stellar Communications to place bank guarantees and complete other formalities for Truk Dhina Dhin.

Following the collapse of Western Cooperative Bank, Prasar Bharti changed its policy to safeguard its interests and this was confirmed by then Bharti Chief Anil Baijal and I had access to this correspondence. One fact which cannot be denied is that because of the contract Mahajan’s company bagged, as much as Rs 91 lakhs was due to Prasar Bharti.

The points made by the DCP are untenable. Nowhere in the story have I said the investigation has concluded. The report, in fact, begins with the sentence, ‘‘fresh evidence in the case…’’

The DCP has been quoted accurately. Bhatt had said, ‘‘…evidence will also be examined at a later stage and if required, persons examined.’’ Not a single word was ‘‘twisted’’ as he alleges.