Nagpur: If reliable sources are to be believed, a murky tie-up between three city journalists and city-based cricket bookie Sunil Bhatia has come to the fore. Among the journos include two crime reporters from arch rivals Hindi dailies from Nagpur, along with another . Bhatia was recently arrested by Nagpur Crime branch sleuths and the diary recovered from his possession is said to have spilled the beans.
Informed sources revealed that the diary recovered from Bhatia reportedly carried the details for monthly ‘financial considerations’ with these three journalists which was reportedly ‘fixed’ at few lakhs. The diary carried the names of few people, journalists and officials who were recipients of cash given as bribe to hush up matter.
The latest revelation has sent the ripples across the masses, who often considered media as their strong support system, and now getting to see the dirty dark game behind the scene. “It is only because of few unscrupulous elements in the profession,” quipped a senior journalist who has not taken retirement and now writes column in newspapers.
Reliable sources claimed that these three journalists received a handsome amount running in lakhs from the Cricket bookie booked now under MCOCA for his involvement in another case of kidnapping and extortion.
Talking to Nagpur Today, a senior police official said that Bhatia did reveal many names and the kind of dealings he had with them. He however refused to share the names mentioned in the diary but even did not deny the facts. He however affirmed that they were still investigating on all the names that the bookie revealed and those appearing in the diary. He assured that once the investigation proves the involvement and the mentioned financial transactions between the bookie and the people whose names appear in the diary, they will take necessary action and will reveal it to the press also.
Interestingly, none of these journalists, two of whom are from prominent arch rivals Hindi dailies from Nagpur have called been for questioning into the matter. The cops investigating the matter has maintained a telling ‘silence’ on the matter.
Nagpur Today View
Though a lot is being said about the fast and progressing media, print and electronic, and now social media, the faith of common readers and viewers still hold strong in this fourth pillar of democracy. But the incidents like this which certainly need the terms like ‘nexus’ for its description are definitely unjust. Nagpur Today strongly condemns the people who are trying to malign the trust that people in particular hold in media. A movement of the sort is certainly needed to eradicate corruption from media.
There is an emergent need to set up a monitoring agency to check such malpractices in this vital organ of communication.
Entire media group should work together to check such elements which leave a blot of infamy on the entire fraternity.
Secondly, the police should not withhold action on such elements, and should consider their duties in pure honesty.
… Samuel Gunashekran
