News Broadcasting
Star News exclusive: witness who absolved Sarabjit threatened
Salim Shaukat, the prime prosecution witness in the case against Sarabjit Singh was threatened in Lahore, Pakistan and warned off speaking with the media. Salim, who lost his father in a bomb blast in Lahore over a decade ago, was a crucial link in the prosecutions case against Sarabjit Singh.
Earlier, in an exclusive interview to STAR News, Salim had made the sensational disclosure that he had never seen Sarabjit Singh and that his statement in a Pakistani court had been tutored by the Pakistani police.
The disclosure had considerably strengthened Sarabjit Singh’s case, and his lawyer, Rana Abdul Hamid had told STAR News that he intended to present the transcript of the interview as additional evidence in court during appeal.
Sarabjit is currently on death row in the Kot Lakhpat Jail in Pakistan.
Speaking on the telephone from Lahore to STAR News, Salim said that he was threatened by two men on a motorcycle, while returning home. The men asked him to identify himself, and then warned him of dire consequences if he continued speaking to the media.
Salim said that the men instructed him “not to give interviews” or to “comment on Sarabjit’s guilt or innocence”.
Salim told STAR News, that after being threatened, he has been “feeling scared” and that he has “just been sitting at home”. Salim told STAR News that he was a “poor man, with a family to take care of” and that he “didn’t know what to do or say now”.
Salim added that he got a good look at the two men on the motorcycle; however, he didn’t recognize them. Salim said that his family and the people at his house were all worried about his safety.
When probed by STAR News, Salim maintained that he would repeat his statement in court, if the government provided him with adequate protection.
He said, “I am a poor and decent man. If my safety is guaranteed, I will speak the truth in court.”
STAR NEWS EXCLUSIVE: WITNESS WHO ABSOLVED SARABJIT THREATENED
The telephonic interview of Salim Shaukhat was broadcast on STAR News on the 6th of September, 2005
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News Broadcasting
Network18 Q4 revenue grows 9.7 per cent, EBITDA at Rs 30 crore
PAT improves to Rs 306.6 crore, margins steady amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: Not all news is breaking, some of it is quietly improving. Network18 Media & Investments Limited appears to be doing just that, tightening losses and stabilising margins even as costs continue to weigh on the business. For FY26, the company reported revenue from operations of Rs 1,955.1 crore, up from Rs 1,896.2 crore in FY25, signalling modest top-line growth in a challenging media environment. Total income stood at Rs 1,978.2 crore, compared to Rs 1,913 crore a year earlier.
Profit after tax came in at Rs 306.6 crore for the year, a sharp turnaround from Rs 3,225.4 crore in FY25, largely reflecting the absence of large exceptional items that had inflated the previous year’s numbers. On a more comparable basis, the company’s operating performance showed signs of gradual stabilisation.
However, the quarterly picture remained under pressure. For the March quarter, Network18 reported a loss of Rs 53.1 crore, narrower than the Rs 98.1 crore loss in the same period last year, but still indicative of ongoing cost challenges.
Expenses continued to track high. Total expenses for FY26 stood at Rs 2,235.7 crore, up from Rs 2,197.8 crore in FY25. Key cost heads included operational expenses of Rs 765.9 crore, employee benefits of Rs 475.9 crore, and marketing, distribution and promotional spends of Rs 427.1 crore, underlining the continued investment required to sustain reach and engagement.
At an operating level, margins remained under strain. Operating margin stood at 2.33 per cent for FY26, marginally higher than 1.77 per cent in FY25, while net profit margin remained negative at -13.02 per cent, though improved from -14.89 per cent.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 8,957.6 crore as of 31 March 2026, from Rs 8,317.5 crore a year earlier. Equity strengthened to Rs 4,958.7 crore, while borrowings increased to Rs 3,112.8 crore, reflecting a higher reliance on debt to support operations.
Cash flows told a mixed story. While financing activities generated Rs 83.9 crore, operating cash flow remained negative at Rs -24 crore, highlighting ongoing pressure on core cash generation. Cash and cash equivalents, however, improved to Rs 33.9 crore from Rs 1.8 crore.
The numbers point to a company in transition growing revenues, trimming losses, but still grappling with structural cost pressures. In a sector where scale often comes at a price, Network18 seems to be inching towards balance, one quarter at a time.
