Punjabi News and Entertainment channel PTC’s Managing Director Rabinder Narayan has been arrested by Punjab Police on Wednesday. Narayan was taken into custody over allegations of exploiting innocent girls after duping them for a beauty contest telecast on the channel.
PTC चैनल के MD रविंद्र राय को पंजाब पुलिस ने हिरासत में लिया।
— Ashish (@aashishNRP) April 6, 2022
आरोप है कि PTC चैनल के मिस पंजाबी कॉंटेस्ट के नाम पर भोली-भली लड़कियाँ बुलायी जाती थी और फिर बड़े-बड़े लोगों से उनका शोषण करवाया जाता था। pic.twitter.com/aON1agqetc
The action from the Punjab Police reportedly came when a contestant from PTC’s Miss Punjab beauty pageant lodged a complaint against the channel. The complainant revealed that she was forcefully enclosed inside a room and harassed by one of the staff members at PTC during the Miss Punjab show. The contestant alleged that human trafficking was taking place in the garb of the beauty contest aired on the channel.
On Wednesday, PTC MD Rabinder Narayan was arrested from his Gurugram residence while an FIR against him was registered in Mohali. Reportedly, the Punjab Police is looking for another suspect in the case while officials have launched a deeper probe to identify the role of any bigger racket involved.
On the other hand, the PTC MD has alleged that the inquiry is an attack on the press. Narayan accused the Mann government of muzzling the voice of the press and has called it a politically motivated move. PTC channel spokesperson told reporters that the SIT formed to probe this case has already recorded the statement of Rabinder Singh Narayan.
PTC’s report on Bhagwant Mann’s bridge
On 31st March 2022, a video of newly sworn-in Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann made rounds on social media. In an interview alongside Arvind Kejriwal, Mann made hilarious claims about building a bridge in Punjab for just Rs 6 lakhs against a quotation of Rs 1.80 crores, during his tenure as MP. Local news channel PTC News decided to report the story by sending a reporter on-site to cover the bridge. PTC aired a satirical story exposing Mann’s claims where it was found that a concrete paver slab instead of a bridge was laid over the waterway in the Dirba village of Sangrur district.
The brilliance of it all: A bridge that costs merely ₹6 lakh. Compliments to the engineer. pic.twitter.com/dhNoYXKFyi
— Kanchan Gupta 🇮🇳 (@KanchanGupta) March 31, 2022
As per a report published by PTC News, locals were seen outraging over the claims of Mann for the so-called bridge. pIn the televised report, people were seen talking to the media accusing Mann of lying and making sensational claims to extract political brownie points. They were also angry with the local AAP MLA Harpal Cheema, who is currently the finance minister in Bhagwant Mann’s cabinet.
The arrest of PTC MD Rabinder Narayan has come days after the channel exposed Bhagwant Mann’s wonderous claims over the bridge. It is to be noted that the PTC Television Network is owned by Sukhbir Singh Badal, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal.
