http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=95820
INDIA: House panel grills channel on expose Parliamentary panel investigates collaboration between Bharatiya Janata Party and CNN-IBN in "note-for-vote" bribery sting The Times of India Tuesday, August 12, 2008 NEW DELHI --- The parliamentary panel looking into the bribery allegations by BJP MPs has summoned SP MP Reoti Raman Singh, senior BJP leader Sudheendra Kulkarni, the alleged conduit Sanjeev Saxena and a middleman Sohail Hindustani to despose on the 'note-for-vote' scandal on August 18. On Monday, the panel heard the CNN-IBN team on their version. The news channel had recorded the sting in collaboration with BJP MPs but had chosen to withhold the telecast on the grounds that it was incomplete. The channel head Rajdeep Sardesai along with his journalist and cameraperson who carried out the sting, presented themselves before the K C Deo panel. The news channel also telecast the tapes later in the evening, claiming that it had "fulfilled its duties". The six-member CNN-IBN team was closely questioned on why the telecast of the tapes was so delayed. The team claimed that it felt that there had been some loose ends that needed to be tied up. Panel sources said that telecast had only established that there had, indeed, been contact between the BJP MPs and certain persons, including SP MP Raman Singh. The channel also gave some additional cassettes on Monday. The panel members asked the team to clarify whether the entire operation was a "sting" or could be classified as a piece of investigative reporting. The MPs also wanted to know how and when the contact between the three BJP MPs and the channel had been established. While the panel has summoned some more persons connect with the sting, no decision has been taken as yet on whether Amar Singh's presence was required. It was not clear whether all the persons would actually attend the panel's proceedings, by the MPs would certainly like to question them over the events. Date Posted: 8/11/2008
