Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (NR/MB)
- ' Publish my side of the story and salvage my dignity,' pleads Rao
Mangalore, Jul 29: In the light of the sequence of events leading to a TV Channel’s reporter being allegedly assaulted last week, the nightmare of the entire incident does not seem to be over for Lalith Rao and his family. Rao stated at a press conference convened in the Press Club on Saturday that he was hoping and praying that his nightmare would end soon.
Reliving the incident, Rao said that a private TV channel broadcast a story on an episode of sleazy flesh trade in the city with hazy images of porn stars leaving a reputable city mall. Rao and his wife too happened to leave the mall at the same, as a matter of coincidence.
This was repeatedly being broadcast on July 21 and 22 giving the viewers an impression that the couple too was involved in the racket which was unearthed.
Clarifying his position, Rao informed that after work it was his usual practice to pick up his wife, who was working as a team leader in a furniture showroom located in the mall.
Rao was told by his shocked neighbours, friends and relatives about the incident. On switching his home TV to confirm the news he was dumbstruck to find the entire story unfolding before his eyes.
Rao stated that the channel reporter before airing the programme had blackmailed him demanding a sum of Rs 3 lac for not carrying any pictures of him and his wife.
Disgusted and humiliated by this turn of events he had then marched to the channel reporter’s office seeking an apology. According to Rao, there was only a mild altercation and he did not damage any equipments.
He further went on to add that whenever he now steps out there are exressions of false sympathy, smirks on faces and lewd remarks thrown at his wife behind his back.
Rao alleged that as he had no backing from any organizations or forums he was forced to call a press conference. He criticized poitical parties too for jumping into bandwagon of extending support to the said channel without first finding out the facts.
Rao concluded the press conference with a request to mediapersons to publish his side of the story and help him in salvaging and restoring his pride and dignity.
TV9 Channel Denies Allegation of Blackmail
A real estate agent Lalith Rao, along with his wife, was shown in a report aired last week on the Kannada channel TV9 about a pornography racket here. He severely criticized the channel (a detailed report given above) for depicting them in a manner suggesting their involvement in the racket.
The report had shown him and his wife proceeding on a motorcycle from Bharat Mall and from the appearance of the clip viewed in the context of the report, it suggests that they were involved in the racket. Rao claimed that he had infact been blackmailed by the channel reporter and that he had nothing to do with the attack on channel’s office.
One of the senior members of the channel’s editorial staff in Bangalore is reported to have clarified that the allegations made by Rao were baseless. Dismissing the claim made by Rao of being blackmailed by the channel’s reporter here, he questioned that if such a serious incident had indeed taken place then why it was not brought to the notice of the local or the Bangalore bureaus. He expressed his surprise as to why Rao did not approach the police, if his allegation was indeed true.