The Supreme Court today sought response from Congress MP Naveen Jindal and the Centre on a plea by Zee Television seeking quashing of three FIRs, including the alleged extortion case, against the group and its editors.
The apex court also issued notice to the Delhi Police and sought its response on the allegation that it lodged the FIRs and launched criminal proceedings against the Zee editors allegedly at the behest of Jindal.
The notice was also issued to Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) of which Naveen Jindal is the Chairman.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir asked them to file their response within two weeks and posted the matter after four weeks on Zee'e petition also seeking stay of the criminal proceedings against them.
The bench, also comprising justices A R Dave and Vikramajit Sen, issued notice to them on another petition filed by the Zee Group questioning the showcause notice issued to it by the Centre for telecasting a programme in which the channel revealed the identity of the male friend and eye witness of the December 16 gangrape case.
The Centre in its notice has sought explanation from the Zee Group why its licence should not be cancelled.
Senior advocates Harish Salve and Maninder Singh, appearing for the Zee Group and its editors -- Sudhir Chaudhary and Sameer Ahulwalia, alleged that the three FIRs registered on October 2, 2012, January 4, 2013 and January 15 were as a result of "unholy conspiracy" between Jindal and the Delhi Police.
They also sought that the case be transferred from Delhi Police to some other agency.
The first FIR was in connection with the sting operation on the alleged extortion bid by Zee editors against Jindal's company in which Chaudhary and Ahluwalia were in jail from November 27 to December 17, 2012.
The second FIR was lodged against Zee for allegedly telecasting the programme revealing the identity of the eyewitness and male friend of the December 16 gangrape case.
The third FIR was lodged against the TV channel on thecomplaint of JSPL alleging that the channel in its programmeon coal block scam showed fabricated documents as annexure ofCAG report.
Salve submitted that Delhi Police conducted "slantedinvestigation" at the behest of Jindal who used his politicalconnections with the ruling party in power.
"Three successive FIRs within a span of four months werefiled against the petitioner on one pretext or the other.
"In addition to this, Zee News Ltd. has also receivednotices from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting onthe basis of series of complaints filed by JSPL - a companymanaged and controlled by Jindal which further supports thecontention of the petitioner that Jindal is using hisinfluence as a member of a political party in power to gag andmuzzle the media from reporting on issues of nationalimportance," the plea said.
Salve said a complaint was also filed by JSPL before thePress Council of India which was referred to the NewsBroadcasting Standard Authority (NBSA) headed by former ChiefJustice of India J S Verma.
However, he said, the Chairman of NBSA took note of thefact that Jindal had the temerity to try and contact theChairman over telephone prior to the hearing, and JusticeVerma even refused to accept an unconditional written apologyon his behalf, tendered by the senior counsel appearing forthe complainant-JSPL.
The senior advocate said the first FIR was recorded in adishonest manner and the malice of the police was obvious fromthe fact that it concocted an offence which does not exist inthe Indian Penal Code.
"A reading of the FIR together with the document inpublic domain shows that the FIR is yet another attempt tobrowbeat the petitioners' news channel. Allegations of seriousoffences are made which would once again be used by the DelhiPolice to seek custody of those involved in producing thestory," the petition said.