The Cyberabad police's cyber crime wing in Hyderabad has issued a second notice to former TV9 Chief Executive Officer (CEO) V Ravi Prakash, actor S Shivaji besides others, over the ongoing case of forgery and cheating registered against them.
This, after Ravi Prakash did not pay heed to a notice by the police under Section 160 of the CrPC to turn up at the Central Crime Station (CCS) on Saturday for questioning. Authorities had served him the notice on Thursday when they conducted searches at the office Associated Broadcasting Company (P) Ltd (ABCL) (which runs TV9) and the residences of Ravi Prakash, Shivaji and former TV9 Chief Financial Officer (CFO) M V K N Murthy on a search warrant issued by a court. The police have already quizzed Murthy and some senior employees of the TV channel.
“We have decided to issue another notice to Ravi Prakash, Shivaji and others asking them to appear on Monday. If he (Ravi Prakash) refuses to accept the second notice then we will act as per law,” a senior official was quoted as saying.
Hours before the Board of Directors of ABCL publicly announced that it was sacking its founder, Ravi Prakash submitted his resignation and made a scathing attack. On Friday evening, the directors of ABCL announced that Ravi Prakash has been removed as the CEO, after Ravi had said on air the day before that he was still the CEO of TV9 and was not ‘absconding’.
According to the Board, the duo failed to declare the appointment of the new Board of Directors with the Registrar of Companies, and allegedly removed the Company Secretary by forging his signature to stall the appointment of the new Directors.
In his letter, Ravi Prakash alleged that the Board were representatives of political honchos “who are out there to devour ‘every’ journalist and independent media house today.”
Ravi Prakash continues to be a shareholder in the company. He has been replaced by Mahendra Mishra, who has been appointed as the interim CEO.
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