The Central Bureau of Investigation has responded to an editorial published in The New York Times that was critical of the raids at the homes and offices of the founders of NDTV. RK Gaur, the press information officer and spokesman for the CBI, in a letter to the editor of The New York Times, retorted that India has a “robust and independent judiciary” and did not require any “lesson on freedom of the press from The Times”. The CBI response was carried by The New York Times on Thursday.

The June 7 NYT editorial, titled “India’s Battered Press”, had blamed the current Narendra Modi-led government for the increasing pressure on journalists and media organisations, saying news outlets that run afoul of the government risked losing access to officials.

Gaur, in his letter, said the editorial was “one sided” and gave the impression that action was not being taken against other big loan defaulters. He said the raids on NDTV’s founders were being shown as being a part of a “vendetta” against the broadcaster.

Gaur said the organization was investigating over 100 criminal cases worth a total loan default of over $5 billion and that many of the leading loan defaulters were behind bars. Gaur said that the ICICI bank’s loss was merely the tip of the iceberg and RRPR Holdings, the holding company of NDTV, was also being investigated for irregularities in the mobilization of funds used for loan repayment.

Gaur said the CBI followed due process of law in all cases. He said India has an independent judiciary that an aggrieved person could always approach. He said the country does not require lessons in “freedom of press” from the newspaper.

On June 5, Residences in New Delhi and Dehradun, owned by NDTV founders Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy, were raided by the CBI in connection with causing an alleged loss of Rs 48 crore on a loan taken from ICICI Bank. In a statement following the raids, NDTV accused the CBI of “concerted harassment” of the channel and its promoters based on the “same old endless false accusations”. The investigating agency, in turn, refuted the allegations.

Here is the full text of the letter by the CBI to The New York Times:

To the Editor:

“India’s Battered Press” (editorial, June 7) gives the impression that action is not being taken against other big loan defaulters and that the raids on NDTV’s founders were a part of a “vendetta” against the broadcaster. The editorial is one-sided and doesn’t consider the investigation history of the case against RRPR Holdings by different tax and law enforcement agencies in India since 2011.

The Central Bureau of Investigation is currently investigating over 100 criminal cases worth a total loan default of over $5 billion. Many of the leading loan defaulters are behind bars, their assets attached, and prosecutions are being pursued vigorously in the courts.

The ICICI bank’s loss is merely tip of the iceberg. RRPR Holdings, the holding company of NDTV, is also being investigated for irregularities in the mobilization of funds used for loan repayment. There have also been serious defaults in tax payment.

Your editorial states that NDTV Hindi was taken off the air for a day for reporting on a sensitive attack on an air base. The decision was arrived at after a proper inquiry in which NDTV also participated. No democracy can allow the country’s security and public safety to be compromised by irresponsible reporting of terrorist incidents.

In this entire case due process of law is being followed. India has a robust and independent judiciary that strongly protects democratic freedom and that an aggrieved person can always approach. India does not require any lesson on freedom of the press from The Times. Our institutions and traditions are nurtured by our rich and diverse cultural heritage and democratic ethos.

R. K. GAUR, NEW DELHI

The writer is the press information officer and spokesman for the Central Bureau of Investigation.