Will CNN-IBN explain Why It Stalled its Programme on Aurobindo Ashram ?

In January 2007 the television channel CNN-IBN sent a reporter Neeti Tandon from Delhi to investigate the corruption, sexual abuse allegations and other misdeeds in Aurobindo Ashram. Along with her the chief of investigation team Mr. V.K. Shashi Kumar and  the camera man came to Pondicherry from Delhi. The investigation team stayed in “Du Parc Hotel” in Nehru Street close to Governor’s bunglow in Pondicherry. They told the management of Ashram that they are shooting a documentary to propagate the fame of the Ashram on behalf of a foreign television channel. For more than a year they recorded many happenings within the Ashram even through hidden cameras. In this secret investigation the land-grabbing that took place in the Aurobindo Ashram, sexual harassment, mysterious deaths and details of frauds have been compiled. They recorded the interview of the prominent personalities of Aurobindo Ashram secretly. A year had passed and on confirming the various charges submitted to the television channel, the management of the channel, through email, asked the explanation of the Ashram trustees for 25 questions. To this it was told in the email reply that usually the Ashram trustees won’t reply and on behalf of the management Saumya Bableshwar told he was ready to reply.

Meantime, another woman journalist, Kavita Sharma, sent by the television channel, recorded in her camera the interview of the Sub-Collector Mr. Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, who was officially enquiring into the sexual harassment complaints given by various women inmates of Ashram. After recording the complete evidences against the Ashram the television channel decided to telecast on March 15^th night at 9.30 p.m. in the overall title ‘30 Minutes’: Divine Trap.The repeat show was scheduled on March 16^th, Sunday at 5.30 p.m of 2008 and for this CNN-IBN publicised the promos.

After finalising the telecast programme Kavita Sharma came to Pondicherry on the Darshan day of February 21^st to give links and her talk at the gate of the Aurobindo Ashram, was shot in the camera (this is shown separately).

At this time on the day of the telecast March 15^th  till evening 5 o’clock in CNN-IBN Channel the promos were telecast. Suddenly, without assigning any reason, the television channel stopped the programme that should have been telecast by 9.30 that night. 

Similarly in 2003 Debapriya Ghosh came to Pondicherry on behalf of ‘The Week’ journal to investigate and in the last minute the journal underwent a heart change and the news that should have appeared in April did not appear which is also past history.

What happened behind the curtains? It is only known to the television channel and Aurobindo Ashram. The popular Indian television CNN-IBN must tell the truth to the public.