On April 24 and 30, two cases were registered by Cyberabad police against the Chief Executive Officer of Associated Broadcasting Company Ltd (ABCL) Ravi Prakash, Telugu film actor S Shivaji and others in Hyderabad for allegedly cheating the company's promoters by forging documents.

They are accused of forging the signature of Alanda Media Entertainments Pvt Ltd. Director Kaushik Rao. According to police, Kaushik Rao had alleged that Ravi Prakash, S Shivaji and others forged his signature and wrote a letter to the board stating that Rao was against the appointment of four new directors.

ABCL runs news channels under the brand name TV9 and it is only sometime back that Alanda Media and Entertainment had reportedly bought 90% majority stake in ABCL. It is to be noted that well-known businessman Jupally Rameshwar Rao of the MyHome group is a key director of Alanda.

However, differences cropped up between the buyers and the CEO Ravi Prakash, who is said to be holding a little over 8 per cent stake in the company.

Acting on the complaint, on Thursday, police teams carried out searches at four places, including TV9 office, residences of Ravi Prakash, S Shivaji and MVKN Murthy, in Banjara Hills, Himayath Nagar and Khairatabad respectively.

Cyberabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar said that during the search several important documents and electronic evidence were seized which will be sent to Telangana State Forensic Science Laboratory for further analysis.

The duo have been booked under IPC sections 420 (cheating), 468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (Forged document) and 472 (making or possessing counterfeit seal), among others including some under IT Acts.

Coming out in his defence, Ravi Prakash in a video message said false cases were foisted against him and claimed that he continues to be the CEO of ABCL.

He said that the case is now before National Company Law Tribunal and would come up for hearing on May 16.

Meanwhile, Cyberabad Police officials on Friday continued their searches on the offices of TV9 Channel in Hyderabad for the second day.

This is not the first time that Ravi Prakash has hogged the limelight.

In 2014, he was arrested in Hyderabad after a petition was filed in court seeking action against the channel head over ashow which allegedly portrayed Telangana legislators in bad light with ‘derogatory comments’. He was later released on bail.

Also Read: TV9 To Sack CEO Ravi Prakash?