Founder of Interactive Forum on Indian Economy Advocate Nandan Jha, has given a befitting reply to a yellow journalism attempt by a Deccan Chronicle journalist.

At the beginning of the incident, this journalist tried to blackmail the Trust (Interactive Form on Indian Economy) established by Nandan Jha through an article. Tushar Kaushik, the so-called journalist of Deccan Chronicle, in his article has claimed that he had a conversation with a person named Arpit Gupta and got information that by paying a few lakh rupees, he can get the nomination of these awards.

   Legal Notice Copy by Prashant Bhardwaj on Scribd

Here Nandan Jha has declared his ignorance regarding the claim presented in the above article and said that these allegations are completely baseless, misleading, irrational, sly and it is nothing more than just an illegal attempt to extort money. Nandan Jha has been organizing National Awards named Champions of Change for many years, in which he has nominated eminent personalities of the country for these awards organized every year. The jury of these awards includes important legalists and dignitaries of the country, who decide the eligibility of these awards keeping in view the social service done by the participants in different parts of the country and the efforts made by them towards the national interest. In such a scenario, such allegations automatically prove to be baseless and it becomes clear that this is a planned unsuccessful attempt to tarnish the image of him and the organization.

Nandan Jha has clarified in his ten-crore defamation notice that no one named Arpit Gupta works for him. Taking immediate action, Nandan Jha has filed a defamation claim of ten crores on this so-called journalist. In the legal notice of this claim, Nandan Jha has clarified that Tushar Kaushik has prepared this article keeping completely fabricated fictional facts, in which there is no attempt of checking the facts is seen. Being a journalist, before making any claim, it should have been thoroughly investigated by him which he has not done. Before publishing these allegations against Nandan Jha's company, he did not even consider the need of any clarification from him or any representative of his company, nor did he contact them in this regard.

Another important point put forward by Nandan Jha in this notice is that the four photographs published by Tushar Kaushik in his article are not participants of his award ceremony. In this claim, Nandan Jha has clarified that his company completely follows all the rules of award selection. The nomination of the participants of the award is done forty-five days before, after that the work done by them in the direction of society and national interest. Their merit is decided on the basis of their work. After the start of the forty-five days process of this award ceremony, no participant is selected in the middle, nor are they nominated considering their work and merit. In such a situation, there is no possibility of nomination of ineligible persons by any kind of financial grant.

Nandan Jha is a reputed journalist who has been working tirelessly towards the national interest at many levels for many years. After being honored by the President, Prime Minister and Governor two decades ago, he has turned the direction of his life towards the service of the society and the Champions of Change award is a part of his such multi-level efforts. In his legal notice against the article of Tushar Kaushik, he has clarified that in this way a malified attempt has been made not only to tarnish the image of this National Award as an institution but also to humiliate every dignitary of the country concerned with it. The winners of these awards include important politicians of the country, Ministers of State, Union Ministers, and recipients of Padma Awards.

In the legal notice sent by Nandan Jha, Tushar Kaushik has been asked to tender an unconditional apology for his act within the next one day along with a compensation of Rs 10 crore. And if Tushar fails to do so, then a judicial process will be initiated against him on this matter.