‘Pressure for views’: ABP sacks 3 over fake video linking Neha Singh Rathore to ‘sex racket’

Three ABP News employees have reportedly been terminated after a false YouTube video claiming police action against a “sex racket” at a “hostel” linked to satirist and singer Neha Singh Rathore.

Sources at the channel identified the three as the production head, the person who made the video, and the YouTube shift in-charge. One source said the error came out of a newsroom under constant pressure to chase views.

The channel had issued an apology after Neha confronted Rajnish Ahuja, Executive Vice President of ABP, on the phone and posted a video of the conversation on her social media accounts. In multiple posts since the defamatory video, Neha has tagged top BJP ministers and the National Commission for Women. The NCW subsequently said it is looking into the matter. 

Neha has said she will file a defamation case.

The video

The fake video linking Neha to an alleged sex racket was first posted by an X account named Hindustan Ki Army. The account called it “Big Breaking News,” claiming a sex racket was operating openly in a hostel where Neha used to live and that police had raided it. The footage was reportedly from a 2024 raid at a spa centre. 

The same video was packaged and published online under the channel’s YouTube shorts.

Speaking to Newslaundry, Neha said the photograph used in the video was taken by ABP itself three years ago, when it invited her to the channel as a guest for an interview. “This photograph was taken by them after they invited me as a guest for an interview. They took this picture three years ago, and now they have used it in this video…Inki himmat ki daad deni padegi.”

On the channel’s apology, she said she will pursue legal action considering the harassment she had to go through. “What I will do with the apology. My dignity has been hurt,” she said, adding that the incident was not a minor slip. “The incident is not just a typo or a spelling mistake in someone’s name. The channel had used my photograph and added text to the video that mentioned my name.”

A source within ABP News said: “The pressure for views is so much that even good producers are editing Shorts. This was done by the Shorts team, which has five employees. The data wing asks for information every hour. Because of this pressure, the newsroom has become more chaotic.” The source added that people are working under a lot of pressure and that the YouTube team is regularly asked about engagement metrics.

Newslaundry tried to reach Ahuja by phone but could not get through. A questionnaire has been emailed to him. This report will be updated if he responds.

Complaining about the media is easy. Why not do something to make it better? Support independent media and subscribe to Newslaundry today.