By ShriKrishna Prasad, Advocate
New Delhi, January 05. In the Dainik Hindustan Government Advertisement Scam of Bihar, the Respondent No.-02, Mr.Mantoo Sharma, in his counter-affidavit to the Supreme Court in the Special Leave Petition(Criminal) No. 1603 of 2013 (filed by the Petitioner,Shobhana Bhartia, the Chairperson of M/S The Hindustan Times Limited/M/S H.T.Media Limited/M/S Hindustan Media Ventures Limited,New Delhi), has annexed the official letter of the Deputy General Manager of the company.The official letter of the company Deputy General Manager of M/S H.T.Media Limited,New Delhi) has , in document, proved the forgery, fraud and cheatings of the top functionaries of the company in this Dainik Hindustan Advertisement Scam of Bihar.
The official letter of the Dy.G.M of the company also releals the involvement of the senior officials of the Directorate of Advertising & Visual Publicity(D.A.V.P), Ministry of Information & Public Relations,Govt. of India,New Delhi and the senior officials of the Information & Public Relations Department,Govt. of Bihar,Patna in this case.
The Respondent No. -02,Mr.Sharma, in his counter-affidavit to the Supreme Court, has prayed to the Hon'ble Supreme Court to order a separate C.B.I probe to investigate the state level government advertisement scam, particularly related to Patna,Bhagalpur and Muzaffarpur based illegal publications of Dainik Hindustan and others in Bihar.
The content of Mr.Mantoo Sharma's counter-affidavit in this above mentioned matter, is given here in the original form :
"COMPANY DY. G. M'S LETTER-A SUBSTANTIAL DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE T O PROVE FORGERY, FRAUD AND CHEATINGS OF THE COMPANY TOP FUNCTIONARIES= Ravi Bhushan, Deputy General Manager(Media Marketing),on behalf of M/S H.T.Media Ltd(Patna),vide official letter No.-7744,dt. Sept 06,2005, addressed to Director, Information & Public Relations Dept,Bihar,Patna, in the first paragraph(lines 1 to 5) has clearly admitted that there are two more printing stations (printing presses) for publication of Dainik Hindustan –one at Bhagalpur and another at Muzaffarpur considering the benefits of local readers of the region so that the newspapers could reach them timely with "regional news" of their areas. Both printing stations (including Bhagalpur and Muzaffarpur) have ''No Registration Numbers.''
He futher admits in the letter,'' Dainik Hindustan, printed from printing stations at Patna,Bhagalpur & Muzaffarpur , bears "the same Registration No.-44348/1986'' In a surprising tone, he admits that newspapers, being printed at Bhagalpur and Muzaffarpur are not separate editions and himself questions in the letter '' It may be considered whether the inclusion of all these printing stations in the state govt. advertisement approval list will be "legal" or "not" ? ''
HANDS OF OFFICIALS AND OF UNION GOVERNMENT IN THIS GOVERNMENT ADVERTISEMENT SCAM ARE ALSO PROVED
He further reveals and admits that DAVP(New Delhi) has separately approved the central govt. advertisement- rate for Dainik Hindustan being printed at Bhagalpur and Muzaffarpur also besides at Patna.
This letter of the Company Dy.G.M clearly suggests that the influence of the media and political power was working behind this foul game in amassing money by fraud. The company has thus fraudulently obtained "the DAVP Advertisement Rate" for Bhagalpur and
Muzaffarpur editions/publications of Dainik Hindustan having ''No Certificate of Registration'' and ''No Registration Number'' since August 03,2001 to the filing ofthe Munger Kotwali P.S case No. 445/2011'' in utter violation of mandatory provisions of concerning rules in respect of issuance of the government advertisements .
Even knowing very well that it attracts punishment for economic offences , the Dy.G.M ,in writing, demanded from the Director,Information & Public Relations Department,(Patna,Bihar) to include "Bhagalpur and Muzaffarpur editions/publications of Dainik Hindustan" in "the State Govt. Advertisement Approval List" ,knowingly that Bhagalpur and Muzaffarpur editions/publications of Dainik Hindustan are without ' The Certificate of Registration' and ' The Registration Number'' , citing the example of D.A.V.P(New Delhi) .Further, this is a matter of another independent high level probe as to how the D.A.V.P,Ministry of Information & Broadcasting,(New Delhi) approved 'The DAVP Advertisement Rate" and released "All Union Government Advertisements " from August ,03,2001 to June 30,2011 continuously and surprisingly , violating the terms and condtions ofits own department / ministry.
It is the rare amongst the rarest cases in which the powerful Media House has obtained both "DAVP approved Advertisement Rate" and "the Central Govt. Advertisements" ,showing Bhagalpur & Muzaffarpur editions /publications of Dainik Hindustan certifying as "Independent Editions /publications" ,fraudulently using "the Certificate of Registration " and "the Registration Number –RNI No.44348/1986 " of the Patna edition/publication of Dainik Hindustan.
This letter of the Company's Deputy General Manager (Media-Marketing) Ravi Bhushan has been incorporated as "a documentary evidence" againstall the accused persons in the Munger Kotwali P.S CaseNo. 445/2011 in "the Supervision Report-01" of Dy.S.P(Munger) and "the Supervision Report -02" of the S.P(Munger). "
By ShriKrishna Prasad, Advocate Mobile No.-09470400813
