Will file defamation suit against Jindal says Chandra

NEW DELHI: Zee Group chairman Subhash Chandra and his son Puneet Goenka were questioned for the second day on Sunday in connection with the alleged Rs 100 crore extortion bid from Congress MP Naveen Jindal's company. While Puneet Goenka stayed at the crime branch office for some 20 minutes, Chandra was reportedly confronted with his editors Sudhir Chaudhary and Samir Ahluwalia for close to six hours. 

Subhash Chandra left the crime branch office around 9 pm. He, sources said, claimed during questioning that "he had no idea about the extortion episode in which his two editors have been arrested and he was in America at that time". Chandra later told mediapersons, "I will file a defamation case on Jindals. I came to know about this matter only after the registration of FIR". He told reporters that "they are cooperating with the police in the investigation". 

A source told TOI that "Chandra had claimed during questionning that he was not aware of his editors meeting with Jindal executives as he was in America". 

The source said, "He claims that Naveen Jindal had texted him in September asking to meet him. He told Naveen Jindal that he was in America but if it was urgent, he can call. To this, Naveen Jindal texted him that it was not urgent. Chandra claims that if there was any problem, Naveen Jindal should have told him." 

When asked about the call made by Ahluwalia to Chandra after the meeting with Jindal executives, a source, "Chandra replied to this saying that he talks to his editors on regular basis and Ahluwalia did not tell him about any such meeting". 

Earlier, Chandra was questioned for more than nine hours on Saturday but the crime branch wanted to clarify other things so he was called again on Sunday. Both Chandra and Puneet came to the crime branch office around 1.30 pm on Sunday but Puneet left within 20 minutes. Zee Editors Sudhir Chaudhary and Samir Ahluwalia, who had been remanded to two-day police custody by a court, were brought to the crime branch office on Saturday night where Chandra and his son were being questioned. Chandra had secured an interim protection from arrest till December 14 from a Delhi court. 

In a late night statement on Saturday, Zee Group said both Chandra and Puneet extended fullest cooperation to the Delhi Police so that truth emerges.