Former TV9 CEO quizzed by police

Hyderabad: Former chief executive officer (CEO) of Associated Broadcasting Company (ABC) Pvt Ltd, V. Ravi Prakash finally appeared for questioning before the Cyberabad cyber crime police on Tuesday. He has two cases registered against him in Cyberabad and one in Hyderabad, alleging forgery and criminal conspiracy among other offences.

Following the directions issued by the Supreme Court under section 41 (A) of the CrPC, Ravi Prakash visited the cyber crime police station in Gachibowli around 4.30 pm on Tuesday.

A team of police personnel then took him into a room for questioning in connection with the two cases of cheating and forgery filed against him and his aides by P Kaushik Rao, Director of Alanda Media and Entertainments Pvt Ltd, wherein Ravi Prakash was accused of preventing new directors from taking charge of operations. Another case was registered against him at the Banjara Hills police station for allegedly selling the TV9 logo.

The police had previously served two notices to Ravi Prakash, but he failed to appear for questioning and instead approached the Supreme Court, which on Monday directed him to appear for questioning and also asked the police to intimate him before his arrest.

Cyberabad cyber crime ACP Ch Y. Srinivas Rao told the media, “We are questioning him only in connection with the two cases registered at the cyber crime police station and not the case registered at the Banjara Hills police station.”

“The questioning might continue for some more time. Depending on how much information he provides, we might have to extend the inquiry for a few days,” the ACP said in response to a query.  Sources said that Ravi Prakash has also been asked to come in for questioning on Wednesday too.

The police have already questioned M.V.K.N. Murthy, the ex-chief financial officer of the company. However, the actor S Shivaji, whose name has also been brought up in the case, has not turned up for questioning so far.