NDTV fraudulently raised funds for own benefit under the garb of children's welfare during Covid-19 Pandemic by misusing the name of UNICEF and Childline India Foundation amounting to Rs.1.0666 Crores as revealed by Legal Rights Observatory's complaint registered by the NCPCR.
NDTV is soon becoming a synonym for fraud, NDTV’s Financial Frauds during the UPA era aided and abetted by the then Finance Minister P.Chidambaram and their closeness to the Sonia Gandhi family has been well documented by authored by Sree Iyer in his series of books called NDTV Frauds, which is a bestseller. NDTV has also been facing many investigations into its financial frauds by the Income Tax and SEBI and also faces payment of heavy penalties for money laundering and tax fraud cases.
NDTV is always collecting funds under some pretext or the other, its fund raising for saving Tiger or collecting warm clothes and blankets in the name of poor homeless people, perhaps to be diverted for the Christian missionaries to aid conversions of vulnerable Hindus. So, whoever wishes to donate money in any of its myriad fund raising schemes should go with a caveat of donate at your own peril.
NDTV has been now caught red handed by the Legal Rights Observatory (LRO) collecting funds in the name of UNICEF for children hit by the Corona virus pandemic. NDTV claimed that it was raising funds with partnership of UNICEF for Childline India Foundation, a NGO under the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD). When LRO investigated the matter and wrote about it to the MWCD, it replied saying that the Ministry is not aware of any such fundraiser in its name and the NDTV had no permission from MWCD for the same.
The UNICEF also through a public statement on 27.12.2020 stated that UNICEF India has taken note that a few organisations are falsely using UNICEF’s name for fundraising and promotion without authorization. The UNICEF further stated that they denounce this unethical practice and disassociate from the organisations / individuals involved in this.
Notably, UNICEF’s denial of association with NDTV came after LRO complained about misuse of Childline India Foundation’s name for collecting funds. So, NDTV hence misused both UNICEF’s name and Childline India Foundation’s name to collect money under the garb of aiding children during the pandemic, but obviously the money raised would go in its own coffers for personal enrichment.
NDTV fraudulently raised funds in name of UNICEF and Childline India Foundation as announced by it amounting to Rs.1,06,66,862 i.e. Rs.1.0666 Crores. The amount could be much more than what it claims as the whole exercise was a sham. Notably, in November 2020, the dubious media house launched a bogus fundraising initiative named, ‘NDTV-UNICEF Reimagine Telethon’ to aid children during the COVID-19 crisis.
The LRO filed complaint against NDTV’s fraudulent fundraising programme to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), the apex central body constituted for protection of child rights in the country, and also to the Income Tax department.
The NCPCR then taking cognizance of the matter wrote on 28.01.2021 to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), headed by Dr. OP Mishra, the Joint Commissioner of Delhi Police to initiate an action against controversial news channel NDTV for fraudulently using the cause of children to illegally raise money for its own benefit.
The NCPCR stated in its letter that they received a complaint against NDTV alleging that had started a fundraiser in partnership with the UNICEF to help kids affected by the Chinese coronavirus pandemic.
The NCPCR stated that the complainant , i.e. the LRO, had stated that NDTV had claimed these funds were being raised for the Childline India Foundation, a foundation that works with Ministry of Women and Child Development. Notably, Childline India Foundation is a nodal agency working under the MWCD operates a telephone helpline called ‘Childline 1098’, for children in distress.
However, neither the Childline India Foundation nor the MWCD is even aware of the fundraising campaign that was organised in its name by NDTV as investigated by the LRO.
In his letter to NCPCR, the LRO had stated that the purported fundraiser initiated by NDTV was nothing but a fraudulent way to use cause of kids to illegally raise money for its own benefit.
The NCPCR forwarded the complaint by LRO to the EOW and sought action against NDTV by looking into the serious allegations against NDTV for raising this money and utilising this money received in this fundraiser.
The NCPCR letter to EOW further stated, “Keeping in view of the serious allegations made against NDTV for fraudulently using the cause of children and illegally raising money for its own benefit, the Commission has deemed it appropriate to take cognisance under Section 13(1)(j) CPCR Act, 2005 upon this complaint.”
The letter added, “Therefore, it requested that the serious allegation made in this complaint may be looked into an investigation into the intentions of NDTV for raising this money and utilisation of this money received in this fundraiser may be initiated under appropriate provisions of law”.
Find below the Legal Rights Observatory’s tweet averring that the MWCD, the Childline India Foundation in its communication to LRO stated that did not give permission to NDTV collect funds on its behalf so also did the UNICEF. The LRO in its tweet also said that its complaint to the Income Tax in the matter is under investigation too.
Pertinently, during the launch of the fraudulent scheme the NDTV had claimed that without immediate funding and key lifesaving interventions like health care, nutrition, and immunization, an additional 1,600 children could die in India every day over the next six months. The NDTV bogusly appealed for funds claiming that they would protect the most vulnerable children.
The NDTV claimed, “Let’s reimagine our children’s future. Join NDTV and UNICEF’s special campaign, ‘Reimagine Our Children’s Future’.”
With the NCPCR registering the complaint against NDTV made by the LRO and following up the matter by forwarding the complaint to Economic Offence Wing for further detailed investigations against the suspicious fundraising in vulnerable children’s name by misusing UNICEF’s and Childline India’s name would certainly lead to more legal trouble for the fraudster Roys already in the maze of money laundering and tax fraud cases against them.
Prannoy Roy has the gall to claim that the central government is being vindictive against his media company, while the truth is the Roys are seeped neck deep in corrupt practices and do not want the law of the land to be applied against them for their crimes because they run a jaundiced fake news spreading media outlet. The Constitution of India certainly does not endorse Roy’s view that freedom of press includes freedom to commit financial frauds, spread fake news and incite riots!
News Inputs from : Tweets by the Legal Rights Observatory (LRO),NDTV accused of faudulently using UNICEF’s name to raise funds in the name of children (opindia.com)
Image sourced from Organiser modified by the author.
DISCLAIMER: The author is solely responsible for the views expressed in this article. The author carries the responsibility for citing and/or licensing of images utilized within the text.
