‘Nirbhaya’s friend took money from channels to recount horror story’

Seven years after it shook the nation, the brutal December 16, 2012 gang-rape case is back in the headlines with senior journalist Ajit Anjum claiming that the victim’s friend used to take money from various TV channels to recount the ordeal they faced that dark December night.

According to the journalist, he had come to know that the youth had, along with his uncle, decided to cash in on his account and used to charge Rs 1 lakh each from channels to appear on them. In order to expose the youth, Anjum had carried out a sting operation in September 2013, but subsequently decided not to air it.

Explaining the reason for not exposing the youth whom he had purportedly caught on camera taking money for appearing on TV, Anjum told IANS that “since the youth was the sole witness in the case, he had thought that exposing the youth by his sting operation would weaken the impact the case had on the nation.”

“The defence for the accused could also misuse it... For the media, journalistic values, editorial prestige and sensitivity are more important than TRPs,” he added.

However, the recent Netflix series “Delhi Crime”, which is based on the horrific incident, disturbed Anjum when he saw it and led him to change his mind and disclose the secret.

On October 11, Anjum had posted a series of tweets in Hindi, hinting at some sensational disclosures about the companion of the December 16, 2012 victim.

In one tweet, he wrote: “The incident is of September 2013. A fast-track court had pronounced the death sentence on Nirbhaya gang-rape convicts. There was coverage of the Nirbhaya case on every channel. At that time I was the managing editor of ‘News 24’. Nirbhaya’s friend was recounting the details of the gory incident on several channels.

“I was seeing him on TV regularly. But I never saw any pain in his eyes. I also gave my reporters the responsibility of bringing him to our own studio. After some time I was told that Nirbhaya’s friend, along with his uncle, goes to various studios and takes thousands of rupees for appearing.