The arrest of two Zee news editors in an extortion case is creating yet another heated controversy. The media group  on Wednesday described the arrest of its two editors - Sudhir Chaudhary (Zee News) and Samir Ahluwalia (Zee Business) in connection with a case related with exposure of coal scam as illegal and demanded their immediate release.

Earlier on Tuesday Editors of of Zee News and Zee Business were arrested on charges of trying to extort Rs 100 crore from Congress MP Naveen Jindal's group for not doing news reports on coal scam linking his firm. In a press conference Jindal had last month released a CD containing a “sting operation” which purportedly showed footage of the Zee journalists were trying to strike a deal with his company officials, telling them that their channel will not air negative stories of Jindal Group if the money is paid to them. The congress MP  subsequently filed a case against these two senior journalists.

Reacting to the arrests, the media group  issued a statement : "The channel strongly condemns the arbitrary and illegal action of Delhi police in arresting its two editors and for initiating a malicious, illegal and motivated prosecution. The arrests have been made to sensationalize the issue and lend a cover to the coalgate scam and in particular to favour Naveen Jindal and his company. This is a crude and direct attack on the freedom of the Press. The channel vehemently denies all allegations levelled against it."

"Media in our country has to be above suspicion. Media has played a crucial role in our country. Jindal Steel and Power Ltd has faced an incident on which I want to give a pure version. The way Zee TV has carried the news, it has become important for me to share," The congress MP reportedly told the journalists during the press conference.

(AW-Jyotishman)