News Broadcasting
Stock markets crash after Ketan Parekh arrested
If it’s Friday India’s stock markets must crash has almost become a given ever since Yashwant Sinha presented his “dream budget” end-February (and two weeks prior). The Bombay Stock Exchange Sensitive Index (Sensex) crashed by 147.18 points following the arrest of major bull operator Ketan Parekh by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Parekh was held on charges of draining out Rs 1,370 million from Bank of India (BOI) through pay orders issued by Madhavpura Mercantile Co-operative Bank in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Parekh was taken into custody by the CBI’s Bank Security and Fraud cell and is to be produced in court today morning. The worst hit were again the new economy or ICE (information, communication and entertainment) stocks because it is here that Parekh had maximum exposure. The euphamistically called K-10 (ten favourite stocks of Ketan Parekh) counters like Himachal Futuristic, Global Tele-Systems, SSI Ltd, DSQ Software, Zee Telefilms, Silverline, Pentamedia Graphics and Satyam Computer bore the brunt of investors wrath.
This is the second big scam involving banks and stock brokers after the securities scam of 1992 in which the infamous “Big Bull” Harshad Mehta was involved. That scandal involved the illegal channelling of bank funds of over RS 50,000 million into the stock market through the collusion of bankers, brokers, and public and private sector companies. Parekh’s name was linked to this case as well but he was a relatively minor player then.
The CBI registered a case against Parekh after BOI filed a complaint Parekh had defrauded it. After the case was registered, the CBI raided Parekh’s residential and office premises in Mumbai yesterday.
The stock markets went into a free fall on the last day of the settlement on BSE as panicky investors resorted to selling. The BSE 30-Share Sensitive Index (Sensex) fell by 147.18 points to 3604.38 from its previous close of 3751.56.
Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, meanwhile, speaking in Delhi, said that the market regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), was looking into the issue, indicating that some action could be taken only after its inquiry was over.
In a related development in Kolkata, CBI sleuths launched operations at the office premises of some leading stock broking firms after Parekh’s arrest.
The Black Friday record: The Sensex tumbled by 107.67 points on 16 February, 140.39 points on 23 February, 176.49 points on 2 March, 174.98 points on 9 March, 74.12 points on 16 March and 78.69 points on 23 March.
News Broadcasting
Times Network to air JVC Exit Poll across 5 regions on April 29
Four-hour broadcast spans states and Puducherry with data-led analysis
MUMBAI: Times Network is set to roll out what it calls one of its most expansive election programming efforts yet, culminating in the JVC Exit Poll on 29 April, with a multi-hour broadcast spanning key poll-bound regions.
The exit poll will air across Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, beginning at 5pm and 4pm respectively. Co-powered by Vedanta and Jindal Stainless, the programming aims to combine on-ground reportage with data-driven projections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
The network has deployed over 50 journalists across these regions, gathering voter sentiment and local insights in the run-up to polling. The effort builds on its ongoing election formats such as Election Yatra and Election Premier League, which have tracked campaign narratives and community-level issues.
In parallel, Times Now Navbharat has focused on constituency-level reporting in West Bengal through its Jan Gan ka Mann series, capturing voter opinions across diverse segments.
The coverage has also featured interviews with prominent political leaders. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala and V D Satheesan have appeared on the network’s election specials. From Tamil Nadu, voices including deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran, BJP leader K Annamalai and NTK’s Seeman have also featured in discussions.
On the day of the exit poll, the network’s primetime anchors, including Navika Kumar, Zakka Jacob and Sumit Awasthi, will lead the coverage. They will be joined by a panel of political analysts, psephologists and senior journalists offering real-time insights and interpretation of trends.
The programming will integrate grassroots reportage with analytics from the JVC Exit Poll, aiming to give viewers an early sense of electoral outcomes ahead of the official results on 4 May.
With its combined English and Hindi broadcast reach, Times Network is positioning this effort as a comprehensive look at voter sentiment, blending field reporting, data and debate to decode what could lie ahead when the final mandate is revealed.
