2 months ago
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The Supreme Court came down heavy connected the Rajasthan Police connected Friday (February 27, 2026) for filing an FIR connected the charges of blackmailing and extortion against the erstwhile determination caput of Zee Rajasthan connected a ailment from the Zee Media company, and said it was shocked astatine the mode successful which the lawsuit was lodged.
Quashing the FIR against Ashish Dave, the erstwhile determination caput of Zee Rajasthan, a seat of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said the constabulary serviceman investigating the lawsuit should person made an enquiry and confirmed the allegations earlier registering the complaint.
“We are shocked astatine the mode successful which the FIR was registered. Which peculiar allegation of extortion, which peculiar offence of misuse of his presumption successful the institution was acceptable retired successful the FIR and successful the complaint, which required the constabulary presumption acrophobic to instantly spell for the registration of the FIR? Without determination being immoderate allegation astatine all! It is each communicative -- each a fictional story,” Justice Mehta observed.
The tribunal remarked that the FIR was lodged lone due to the fact that the complainant (the media company) was an affluent agency.
“A communal citizen, if helium goes to the constabulary station, would you registry specified an FIR? This FIR contained nothing. Simply due to the fact that the complainant happens to beryllium an influential agency, you registered the FIR conscionable similar that,” helium said.
“We are making superior comments connected the behaviour of the Rajasthan Police, if you want. What is this FIR? A communal citizen, if helium goes to the constabulary station, helium volition beryllium thrown retired for specified allegations. It is simply a information you cannot deny. The complainant was specified privileged that for him, constabulary opened reddish carpets and registered FIR. This is James Bond? Shoot first, deliberation later?” the justice asked.
Mr. Dave had moved the apex tribunal against a Rajasthan High Court bid that had refused to quash the FIR against him, saying, “Media professionals are expected to debar causing undue harm to anyone by mode of menace oregon extortion.”
The transmission absorption had got the ailment lodged astatine Jaipur’s Ashok Nagar constabulary presumption against its past determination head, Mr. Dave, and others connected the charges of cheating, transgression breach of spot and transgression misconduct.
The alleged scam surfaced aft the transmission received respective complaints against Mr. Dave and others. Subsequently, a squad from the company’s caput bureau visited the determination bureau and during an interior inquiry, an worker was caught connected CCTV camera allegedly fleeing with ₹5 lakh from a locker.
Following the revelations, Mr. Dave and others were asked to resign by the transmission management.
Mr. Dave had applied for anticipatory bail successful the territory and sessions court, which had denied him the relief. He past approached the Rajasthan High Court, which directed the Jaipur Police to implicit the probe wrong six weeks and taxable evidence.
