News Broadcasting
News18 exposes ‘Namak Haraam’ Pakistani artistes
MUMBAI: News18 India has carried out an exposé that revealed top Pakistani film actors and singers in India are involved in large-scale black money transactions. The channel, under its sting operation Namak Haraam, exposed top Pakistani personalities such as Fawad Khan, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Shafaqat Amanat Ali, Mawara Hocane and Imran Abbas.
In line with its motto of ‘Danke Ki Chot Par’, News18 India conducted the sting operation over a fortnight in Mumbai and Delhi. The channel’s undercover reporters caught on camera the agents of the Pakistani artistes demanding a majority of their fee in black money. The fee was for appearance in wedding ceremonies. While a few demanded a part of the fee in cash, others wanted it transferred to their bank accounts in Australia or Dubai. The formal contract reflected a paltry sum as compared to the amount agreed upon.
Renowned actor Khan’s manager demanded Rs 50 lakh for a two-hour appearance. He demanded the payment should be made in black and white. The black money component was to be 25 per cent of the deal amount and rest was to be transferred to Khan’s UAE (United Arab Emirates) based bank account.
While singers Amanat Ali and Fateh Ali Khan’s managers demanded Rs 35 lakh and Rs 65 lakh, respectively, the former’s contract showed just Rs. 8 lakh and the latter’s 23 lakh including taxes. It is notable that Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was detained at IGI airport in February 2011 by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence. He was carrying around Rs 60 lakh at the time. He was released only after paying a penalty. Abbas’s manager demanded Rs 35 lakh for a performance with Rs. 32 lakh to be paid in black while the contract was to reflect a fee of just Rs 3 lakh.
Similarly, Hocance’s Pakistan-based manager demanded Rs 50 lakh for a two-hour appearance and asked for Rs 25 lakh in cash to be paid to her contact in Mumbai. The rest of the amount was to be transferred to Hocane’s Australian bank account.
Since all the Pakistani artistes come to India on a work permit obtained through the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for professional engagement, these activities violate statutory laws. The insistence for payment in black money also violates service tax and income tax laws. This conduct of the agents and managers of the Pakistani artistrs violate work permits rules and clearly go against the laws of the land
News Broadcasting
Rajesh Sundaram joins NDTV Profit as senior editor, assignment
The 32-year newsroom veteran has launched channels on three continents and covered everything from 9/11 to South African television
MUMBAI: NDTV Profit has bolstered its newsroom with a hire who has done rather more than most. Rajesh Sundaram, a journalist with over three decades of editorial, managerial and consultative experience across India and international markets, joins as senior editor, assignment, tasked with sharpening the network’s newsgathering and real-time response.
Sundaram’s career reads like a tour of Indian media’s most formative moments. He began at Businessworld in 1994, moved to Zee News as bureau chief across Mumbai and Chennai, then joined NDTV in 2002 as part of its political bureau during a particularly febrile period in Indian politics. A stint as India correspondent for Al Jazeera International followed, where he covered key geopolitical developments and got his first serious taste of the global newsroom.
What sets Sundaram apart, however, is his serial channel-launching habit. At NewsX, he helped get the operation off the ground. At Headlines Today, part of the India Today Group, he served as editor. At News Nation, he helped launch the Hindi news channel and its digital ecosystem. He then crossed continents to lead the launch of ANN7 in South Africa as editor-in-chief, overseeing both television and digital. Back in India, he launched Tamil news channels News7 Tamil and Cauvery News, and later served as principal consultant for the launch of Marathi channel Lokshahi. Most recently, he helped build and lead the Press Trust of India’s video service and content studio, before stints consulting for Business Today and The Himalayan Times.
Rahul Kanwal, chief executive and editor-in-chief of NDTV, left little doubt about what Sundaram is expected to deliver. “The assignment desk is where a newsroom’s intent becomes action,” he said. “Rajesh brings a rare combination of field experience and leadership in building news operations at scale.”
Sundaram has reported from across India and the world, covering elections, civil conflicts, the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and the 2008 US presidential election.
At NDTV Profit, he will lead the assignment desk, driving editorial coordination and real-time response across markets and breaking developments. For a business news network sharpening its focus on speed and multi-platform delivery, it has hired a man who has built newsrooms from scratch on three continents. The assignment desk is in good hands.
