Raids on MLA kin-run Urdu channel’s office

Raids on MLA kin-run Urdu channel’s office

Several Hard Discs, Data-Storing Devices Seized

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Hyderabad: As the management of 4TV, an Urdu channel operated by the family of Malakpet MLA Ahmed Balala, declared that they do not have the footage of the controversial speeches given by MIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi in Nizamabad and Nirmal anymore, the Osmania University police on Saturday afternoon raided the channel’s office in Gulzar Houz and seized a few storage devices.
    Around 2.30 pm, the OU police raided the 4TV office and seized several hard discs and other data-storing devices from there. Initially, the channel authorities resisted the searches at their office, but the OU police led by additional inspector K Madhu Mohan Reddy produced a search warrant. 4TV managing director Zaffar Balala was present at the office when police conducted the raid.
    “What was the need for you to come to the office? We would have given you the material needed. The channel’s image will be dented if news spread that police have conducted raids”, he said.
    The investigators informed the 4TV management that searches were being conducted as per section 91/160 of the CrPC, which permits police to seize material needed for investigation. The investigators wanted to check if there was any tampering of evidence by the channel authorities since they had earlier informed police that the footage of Akbaruddin’s speeches at Nirmal and Nizamabad was no more in their records.
    Police also brought village revenue officer Gopal Reddy to conduct a ‘panchnama’. At one point of time, some associates of the channel questioned police why they were targeting 4TV leaving aside other television channels.
    OU police started investigation on the direction of the Nampally criminal court after admitting a private petition filed by businessman Venkatesh Goud. It was 4TV and a few other Urdu channels which had telecast Akbaruddin Owaisi’s speeches live.