Teleserial `approved' by Mahajan invites HC notice

Teleserial `approved' by Mahajan invites HC notice
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

New Delhi, Jan 17: The Delhi High Court today asked Prasar Bharati to furnish all records relating to award of a teleserial under the alleged influence of the then I&B Minister Pramod Mahajan in June 1999 to a company, in which his wife and son had shares, reportedly resulting in a loss of Rs 6.5 crore to the Centre.

While directing production of the entire records of the award of the contract by January 20, a Bench comprising Justice Anil Dev Singh and Justice O P Dwivedi issued notices to I&B Ministry, Prasar Bharati and the CBI.

Order for production of records was issued by the Bench after standing counsel H S Phoolka strongly opposed the court's suggestion that all the relevant files should be deposited with the Registrar of the High Court.

Advocate Ashok Kumar Singh, appearing for the petitioner, who filed a civil writ in the matter, had earlier expressed apprehensions that the documents could be destroyed.

The petitioner sought a direction to CBI to investigate the matter and register a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act and other relevant provisions of law against persons allegedly involved in misusing the Public office.

Petitioner Jai Dev, annexing various documents along with the writ said the "teleserial -- Truck Dhina Dhin was approved on a minimum guarantee of Rs 35,10,500 per episode", by Mahajan within three days in June 1999, when he was holding charge of Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

The Minister's wife Rekha Mahajan and son Rahul Mahajan had about 2500 shares in the company, Integrated Production Pvt Ltd (IPPL), which produced the serial, it alleged.

The petitioner alleged that the present Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) R R Shah, then holding charge of Additional Secretary in I&B ministry, was simultaneously appointed as executive director of the IPPL, which had Irfan Khan and Sayida Khan as other directors.

It was revealed from the record that there was a noting of June 21, 1999 on page No 2 of the file No 8/53/99/ P-5, That the approval was endorsed by Deputy Director General (Transmission) with the advice of the Minister's Personal Secretary.

Initial sanction for the serial was only for 26 episodes,which were to be telecast between 9.30 pm and 10.30 pm on Doordarshan's National network, but it was pushed to the prime time on Wednesday to replace another serial Noor Jahan

When the contract for 26 episodes came to an end on April 5, 2000, the IPPL owed about Rs four crore to Prasar Bharati, the petitioner said, adding that further extension was given to it on April 12, on mere production of a faxed bank guarantee letter, in which the amount was short by Rs five lakh than actually required to be paid.

When an amount of about Rs four crore was to be recovered from the company, the then CEO of Prasar Bharati allowed extension to the serial "under the influence of the Minister," causing a loss of approximately Rs 6.5 crore to the Government, it alleged.

The extension was given without a formal contract letter and furnishing bank guarantee as per procedure just a day ahead of the telecast of the 27th episode, the petitioner claimed.