Jindal Steel & Power Limited response regarding forced land acquisition at
open cast coal mine site in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, India
15 July 2014
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Jindal Steel & Power Limited to
respond to the following item:
- Jindals acquire land in Raigarh through threats, coercion, Hakeem Irfan,
Daily News & Analysis, 7 Jul 2014
In response, Jindal Steel & Power Limited sent the following statement:
Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) is a responsible steel and power
conglomerate that believes in transparency and conducting its business in a lawful,
honest and ethical manner. We are a law abiding company and do not go around
acquiring land in an irresponsible and forcible way as alleged in the story that
appeared in DNA. The land for our operations in Chhattisgarh has been acquired as
per the due process of law.
We would also like to point out that our operations in Chhattisgarh have requisite
environmental and forest clearances and other necessary approvals form the
concerned authorities. We reiterate that our company functions in a manner with due
regard to the provisions of law including human rights.
To put the DNA article in the right perspective, it is important to bring to the notice of
readers of the said article that DNA is part of Zee Media Corporation Ltd (Earlier
known as Zee News Limited), TV channels of which have been used to extort Rs 100
crore from and defame JSPL and its management in the past and are still being
used to defame JSPL and its management, regarding which various civil and criminal
cases filed by JSPL are pending investigation and/or adjudication over the past two
years and the aforesaid article as well as proposed publication of article on your web
site is an act of grave prejudice of the Zee Group against JSPL and its management.
It is pertinent to mention that JSPL had filed a FIR in October 2012 with P.S. Crime
Branch, Delhi Police against Zee News Ltd. and its management and editors /
business heads for the offenses of criminal conspiracy and extortion to the tune of Rs
100 crore ( Rs 1 billion), in which the Police has already filed charge sheet for the
offenses u/s 384/511, 420/511, 201 and 120B IPC against the chairman and two
editors and business heads of Zee News Limited and further investigation is pending
against them and other officials of Zee News Limited including Mr. Punit Goenka,
Managing Director of DNA News Paper. During investigation, it has been clearly
revealed that the management and editors / business heads of Zee group had
brazenly and blatantly attempted to extort Rs. 100 Crore in the name of
advertisements (Rs. 60 Crore (0.60 billion) in the name of Zee News Limited and Rs.
40 Crore ( 0.40 billion) in the name of DNA newspaper, Mumbai) from, JSPL by
putting it and its management in fear of injury to its mind, business and reputation by
carrying negative propaganda against JSPL and its management on its various
channels, which was recorded in audio – video form and which has been duly
authenticated by Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), New Delhi.
It is pertinent to mention further that finding sufficient evidences, two editors and
business head of Zee News Limited were arrested and remained in custody for about
20 days in said FIR No 240.
Apart from above, another FIR No 12 dated 15.01.2013 for the offenses punishable
under Section 466/468/469/471/120B of the Indian Penal Code (‘IPC’), registered
with PS Crime Branch, Delhi Police is also pending investigation against the
management and editors and business heads of Zee News Limited for airing
program “Media Ka Sauda” on 19th and 20th October 2012 on the basis of forged
annexures to CAG Report.
While the matter remains in Court, the Zee Group continues in its efforts to malign
the reputation of our Chairman and group companies by regularly airing/ publishing
false, baseless and often manipulated reports about us, and the latest DNA report
which you have cited is just another example of that
We hope that you will take these facts into consideration before publishing any story
on your website.
Please find below some links of news based on the cases filed by JSPL against Zee
Group:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Two-Zee-editors-arrested-for-Rs-100-croreextortion-bid/articleshow/17391903.cms
http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/naveen-jindal-releases-tape-toprove-zee-blackmail-112102500217_1.html
http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/naveen-jindal-vs-zee-news-two-top-tvexecutives-held-for--extortion-/1037281/
http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/naveen-jindal-extortion-case-zee-editors-sent-to-2days-police-custody-302957
http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/police-register-case-of-forgery-against-zee-innaveen-jindal-extortion-case-319483