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Tehelka’s launching a Bengali news channel

The Tehelka group, which has been in the news for all the wrong reasons of late, has announced that it is going to launch a Bengali news channel. In a press release dated May 26, the media group that was once known for its magazine and investigative journalism, announced its television venture, Tehelka Bangla. “With Bangla News Channel, Tehelka now aims to spread wings of fearless journalism in the core regional areas of India,” read the official statement.

This decision to expand comes barely two months after owners Alchemist, who are the major shareholders in Tehelka, laid off almost the entire editorial staff of the English magazine. This matter is pending in Delhi Labour Commission and Alchemist has remained absent in hearings so far. According to sources in Tehelka, the management has failed to ensure timely disbursement of regular salaries for over a year now. Current employees are yet to receive their salaries for the month of March.

However, this has not stopped the group from branching out into television. Publisher of Tehelka group Swinder Bajwa confirmed that the news channel was being launched. Bajwa told Newslaundry, “Yes, Tehelka Group is launching its Bangla news channel. I have received an email from our group editor Upendra Rai saying the decision was taken in a meeting with Chairman KD Singh.” He said the timeline of the launch and its investment plan is yet to be rolled out. The proposed channel will be operational only in Bengal.

Upendra Rai was appointed group editor of Tehelka in May. Incidentally, the Supreme Court had ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry against him in 2011, for allegedly trying to bribe an assistant director of the enforcement directorate, in relation to the 2G scam. However, the inquiry was closed on August 30, 2011. At the time, Rai was editor in chief of the news channel Sahara Samay, which is also facing serious labour issues. Rai worked with Sahara Samay till the end of last year. His appointment in Tehelka now seems to have been in preparation for the group’s move into television journalism.

There is already a Tehelka Haryana, which is owned by Chandigarh-based A1 News Network and is a sister concern of KD Singh’s Alchemist group. Singh is also a member of the Rajya Sabha, nominated by Trinamool Congress. Is it a coincidence that the announcement of the channel came weeks after TMC’s emphatic electoral win in Bengal? You decide.

[UPDATE: This article has been updated to correct an error. Originally, the report mentioned that the CBI inquiry against Rai was closed in 2013. However, the inquiry was closed on August 30, 2011 itself. We regret our mistake.]