News Broadcasting
India TV exposes major sex scandal in Gujarat temple
NEW DELHI: Shocking pictures of revered sadhus belonging to a famous religious sect of Gujarat appeared on India TV this afternoon. The footage showed sadhus asking women devotees to have sex with them.
The women, in a trance of devotion, comply. The camera goes on to capture ruthless exploitation of these women, often with the promise that they will be blessed with children. Sadly enough, in some cases, the husbands of these hapless women are passive accomplices in the lurid acts involving these devious sadhus, an official statement from India TV says.
“We have pictures of sadhus indulging themselves in various temples of Gujarat,” an India TV spokesperson said, adding, “It is with a sense of deep anguish and pain that we are unveiling these exclusive CDs.”
The spokesperson did not detail the exact modus operandi adopted in this sensational sting operation. “It took us detailed and painstaking efforts over the last one year to research this sad and depressing state of affairs,” the spokesperson added.
Gujarat police sleuths have used the CDs available with India TV to swoop down on people concerned.
The India TV statement also added that the channel is assuring that every effort is being made to ensure that adequate confidentiality is maintained about the identities of the victims. Also, strict standards and procedures (S&P) norms were promised in the editing and masking of explicit sexual content within these CDs.
India TV has also assured that it has no intention to cause harm to rightful activities of the particular religious sect.
News Broadcasting
Mihir Bhatt appointed as chief content officer at News18 Studios
The media veteran brings two decades of experience across television, digital and radio to one of India’s biggest broadcast networks, Disney+ Hotstar, Discovery+
NEW DELHI: Network18 has a new strategist in the building. Mihir Bhatt, one of Indian media’s more versatile operators, has joined News18 Studios as chief content officer, stepping into a role that will see him shape content strategy, build multi-platform properties and drive brand partnerships across the network.
Bhatt brings more than two decades of experience spanning television, digital and radio, with a track record of doing something rare in Indian media: combining editorial ambition with hard commercial results. At Times Network, where he served as managing editor and chief business officer of Times Influence, he built one of the industry’s more respected content studios, launching marquee properties such as the India Economic Conclave, the Times Now Summit and Leaders of Tomorrow. He also pushed the network into premium OTT territory through tie-ups with Disney+ Hotstar and Discovery+.
His resume stretches well beyond the studio. Bhatt has led Global Investor Summits for multiple state governments, worked alongside the World Economic Forum and played a pivotal role in launching the Indian Pickleball League. Earlier, as editor of Zee Business, he pioneered investor education initiatives that are still cited as industry benchmarks.
At News18 Studios, Bhatt will report to chief executive S Shivakumar and will oversee the studios execution vertical alongside revenue verticals covering emerging markets and campaigns. Sidharth Saini, Hemanth Kumar and Nimar Sarkaria will work under him.
Rahul Joshi, managing director and editor-in-chief of Network18 Group, made the announcement in an internal communication. “Mihir’s ability to build enduring brands, foster strategic partnerships and navigate a rapidly evolving media landscape will be instrumental as we continue to strengthen our position and explore new avenues of growth in the Studios business,” Joshi said.
In a media industry lurching between disruption and reinvention, Network18 has bet on a man who has spent two decades thriving in exactly that chaos. Whether he can do it again, at greater scale, is the question worth watching.
