Court to decide on bail for arrested Zee editors on Monday

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday reserved its order for Monday on bail pleas of two Zee group editors, arrested for their alleged roles in the case of Rs 100 crore extortion bid from Congress MP Naveen Jindal's firm.

"Come for order on both the bail applications on Monday," Additional Sessions Judge Raj Rani Mitra said after hearing for five hours the arguments on third bail pleas of Zee News Editor Sudhir Chaudhary and Zee Business Editor Samir Ahluwalia.

Their counsel said the records of two editors are "unimpeachable" and that their bail can be rejected only if the prosecution proves that they are facing trial in other criminal cases. They added their clients have wives and children to look after and the court should release them after imposing conditions that it deems fit.

The editor contended that they have wives and children to look after and the court should release them after imposing conditions.

"We have roots in society and we have to look after our family, including wives and minor school-going kids, so the court should release us on bail by imposing conditions, it deems fit. Only antecedents are to be seen to withhold my bail but my antecedents are unimpeachable," their counsel R N Mittal, Sunil Mittal and Vijay Aggarwal said.

They said it was a peculiar case where the FIR had been lodged at midnight on a national holiday on October 2. "This shows how powerful is the complainant, that he has lodged an extortion case against me at midnight. This can only happen," they said.

Public Prosecutor Rajiv Mohan opposed their application saying, "Each of these accused have played a vital role in commission of the offence. If they are released on bail, they may tamper with the evidence." Mohan further contended that the Zee group had aired a fabricated CAG report, in which they highlighted that Navin Jindal's firm was allocated coal blocks.

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