RaajjeTV asks PG to review arson case

RaajjeTV has sent a letter to Prosecutor General (PG) Mohamed Shameem, seeking to review the arson case.

While the privately-run station was torched by a group of masked men on 7th October 2013, police had completed the investigation and sent the case for prosecution. Some suspects are to have been charged over the attack.

However, RaajjeTV expressed disappointment in the institutions failure to ensure justice in the matter despite it being over six years since the attack.

The letter stressed that the station had notified the police after receiving information of a possible such attack, but that no action was taken. It added that had the necessary precautions been taken, “RaajjeTV would not have incurred such a huge loss.”

RaajjeTV also noted that it understands that the authorities have received new evidence in the case, including that senior officials of then government were involved in the attack.

The station further appealed to the PG to bring to those involved in the attack to justice “as soon as possible.”

While RaajjeTV’s main studio was set ablaze at around 3am on 7th October 2013, an audit shows that the station incurred losses amounting over MVR 1,317,400 and over MVR 10 million for equipment, the total amount reaching MVR 11.65 million.

Six masked men are seen in the CCTV footage, however, charges were raised against only one and his trial is still ongoing.

Raajje Television had faced various other harassment during the previous administration. It was fined a total of MVR 3.7 million under the Anti-Defamation and Freedom of Speech Act, while this law was introduced in 2016 it has since been revealed that it was done with the aim to target this station.