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| ADG bans tainted anchor's entry into 'Good Morning J&K' | | 'DDK Srinagar officials kept me in the dark about her arrest and return to the morning show after her release on bail' | | Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
srinagar, Sept 12: Doordarshan's Additional Director General, Ashok Jailkhani, has banned a controversial female anchor's appearance in Doordarshan Kendra (DDK) Srinagar's morning show "Good Morning J&K" with immediate effect.
"I have taken cognizance of reports in Early Times and other newspapers and banned her booking in all of Doordarshan's programmes with effect from today", Jailkhani told Early Times from his office in New Delhi. His statement was confirmed with the fact that the anchor, currently in negative news on account of her booking by Police in a criminal matter involving a ruling National Conference (NC) leader, did not host today's morning transmission of the Srinagar station. According to reports, hundreds of thousands of DD's viewers in J&K and outside were keenly watching whether or not the controversial anchor would host the show today.
As reported in the last two issues of this newspaper, DDK Srinagar's most sought-after female anchor was arrested by Police near Bagh-e-Shagoofa in the picturesque Nageen Lake in Hazratbal area in the evening on September 9th and booked in a matter of "committing obscene act at a public place". In FIR No: 110 under section 294 RPC, Police claimed to have arrested the female anchor after she was allegedly caught 'red-handed' with the NC leader and former MLC, Altaf Ahmed Kaloo.
Even as Police claims to have seized the protected politician's Scorpio, a gun licence, three ATM cards and a half-consumed bottle of Hundred Piper Whisky, the FIR mentions that he escaped when the raid was conducted in a car parking area beside Royal Palace houseboat. After three rounds of questioning during her 24-hour-long custody, the accused woman obtained bail through her counsel from a judicial magistrate.
In hours of her release, officials of DDK Srinagar sent her a vehicle and got her picked up from her residence in Harwan area in the morning on September 11th and asked her to continue anchoring the daily morning show. To the surprise and dismay of thousands of viewers, she hosted the show as usual without any hesitation or embarrassment. According to reports available with the authorities, her appearance in the show generated a palpable wave of resentment against the Indian national broadcaster.
In his prompt reaction to an exclusive report published in today's edition of this newspaper, DD's ADG incharge North India, Ashok Jailkhani, asserted that his order of freezing all of the controversial anchor's bookings had been implemented with effect from today. He claimed that he had been kept completely in the dark by DDK Srinagar Director, Shammi Shair, and other officials of the station with regard to the anchor's arrest, Police custody, her release on bail and returning to the show yesterday.
"It was only when I was returning to New Delhi by a flight yesterday that some of my friends and colleagues called me by phone and revealed how the female anchor had been brought back to the show after her arrest and subsequent release on bail", Jailkhani said. "Back in Delhi, when I read the newspapers, I realized that her entry into DD premises should be banned till she is cleared in the criminal matter booked by Police". Jailkhani said that public perception and image of the television anchors could not be compromised in any circumstances.
Significantly, Jailkhani revealed that Mrs Shammi Shair had herself hosted the programme on September 10th after telling him that the regular anchor would not turn up as her aunt had died overnight. "Being in Srinagar since last week in connection with the release of my book (on theatre) by Governor, I was myself the guest in Good Morning J&K on September 10th. Shammiji told me that she had sent a vehicle to get the anchor but the lady would not turn up as her aunt had passed away last night. She said that she would herself reach the station and host the show. Shammiji reached on time and interviewed me while herself hosting the show. Even after the regular anchor had been brought back to the show on September 11th and newspapers carried stories in the day's editions about her own arrest, I was not told about it", he disclosed, making it clear that he had no role in getting the controversial anchor back to the show yesterday.
ADG further refuted allegations that he had ever asked DDK Srinagar to promote three particular casual women artists, including the controversial anchor, by increasing their fees and frequency of bookings. "This is all rubbish", Jailkhani dismissed the allegation and claimed that he did not know any of the three. According to certain reports, the three casual artists were conspicuously present during CEO Prasar Bharti Jawahar Sircar's recent visit and stay at SKICC beyond midnight though none of them was supposed to be there. They had been also hanging on Prasar Bharti's General Manager during a meeting of the Parliamentary delegation at EDI building near Pampore.
With the ADG banning the controversial anchor's entry into DDK premises, Director DDK Srinagar, Shammi Shair, who is herself producer of the programme, hosted today's episode of "Good Morning J&K". |
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