Star India CEO Uday Shankar (File Photo)
NSTPL v. Star India Pvt. Ltd. & Ors
Hon’ble Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Patiala House, New Delhi, has order FIR to be registered against broadcaster Star India, Uday Shankar and 9 other senior officers of Star for cheating under Section 418 and 420 of IPC.
24st July 2017, New Delhi : Noida Software Technology Park Ltd. (NSTPL) filed a Criminal Complaint along with an application under Section 156 (3) of CrPC on 20.03.2017 against Star India Pvt. Ltd. (SIPL), and its top Management.
The said application under Section 156 (3) for registration of FIR was listed before the Ld. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Patiala House Courts for pronouncement of Order today i.e. 21.07.2017. The Ld. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate has, through an order pronounced in open court, allowed the said application and directed that an FIR may be registered against the Accused for the offences punishable under Section 418 and 420 of the IPC.
NSTPL had filed a complaint against Star India and it 10 top officials including Udey Shankar in February with the Economic offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi police. When the police failed to take any action in the matter NSTPL moved the court of CMM Patyala house.
NSTPL has alleged that STAR has cheated them and caused financial loss of over 350 crores. According to NSTPL’s lawyer Aditya Wadhwa, “STAR had induced NSTPL into making huge financial commitments by first offering attractive rates which they had no intention to finally offer and later denying signals and making NSTPL blead 8 crores a month.
Accoding to Vaibhav Sethi, NSTPL’s other lawyer, “STAR had published a false RIO (mandatory rate card) and falsly assured NSTPL that it provides these rates to all digital servies providers including MSOs and DTH.
Later on in a landmark judgemetn on 7th December 2015, Telecom Dispute Settlement Appalat Tribunal (TDSAT) ruled in favour of NSTPL declaring STAR’s ratecard to be illegal and asking them to publish a new ratecard. STAR has challenged this order in Hon’ble Delhi High Court and then Hon’ble Supreme Court. However Hon’rable Supreme Court also upheld the order of Hon’ble TDSAT.
