Cobrapost

Cobrapost

Cobrapost Logo
Founder Aniruddha Bahal
Year founded 2003 (2003)
Country India
Based in New Delhi
Language English, Hindi
Website cobrapost.com

Cobrapost is an Indian news website and television production house, known for its investigative journalism, which has involved sting operations. It was founded in 2003[1] by Aniruddha Bahal who earlier co-founded Tehelka.

Sting operations

In 2005, along with Aaj Tak, Cobrapost conducted a sting operation named Operation Duryodhana that exposed eleven members (MPs) accepting money for tabling their questions in the Parliament of India.[2] This investigation led to expulsion of eleven MPs from the Parliament,[3][4] the largest expulsion of MPs in the country's history.[4]

In March 2013, its Operation Red Spider charged that some banks in India were involved in money laundering,[5] using false accounts to convert black money into white.[6]

In November 2013, Cobrapost along with the website Gulail claimed in tapes titled The Stalkers that in 2009, then Home Minister of Gujarat Amit Shah and his team stalked a woman for their Saheb.[7] The Indian National Congress alleged that the saheb was Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Chief minister of Gujarat.[8] In Operation Blue Virus, Cobrapost accused some IT companies of using fake identities on social media to help politicians, especially BJP members, to improve their popularity.[9][10] The BJP alleged that these were works of the Congress to defame Narendra Modi and the party.[11]

An undercover operation resulting in a video named Operation Falcon Claw showed that eleven MPs from different parties agreed to lobby for a fictitious foreign company,[12] and also that MPs received money ranging from ₹50000 (US$740) to ₹5000000 (US$74,000) for issuing recommendation letters.[13]

On 3 April 2014, Cobrapost publicly published on their website about their investigation, Operation Janambhoomi, into the conspiracy behind the demolition of the Babri Masjid, in which they bring to light the conspiracy behind the events of 6 December 1992, which rewrote the history of modern India on communal lines.[14][15]

References

  1. ↑ "Q&A: What Is Cobrapost?". India Real Time. 21 March 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  2. ↑ ""Operation Duryodhana" logged over 56 video, 70 audiotapes". The Hindu. 13 December 2005. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  3. ↑ "Indian MPs expelled for 'bribes'". BBC News. 23 December 2005. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  4. 1 2 "11 Indian Parliament Members Expelled After Bribe Sting on TV". The New York Times. 24 December 2005. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  5. ↑ "Operation Red Spider 2: Modus operandi, allegations and targets". Business Standard. 6 May 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  6. ↑ "Sting operation ‘exposes’ three banks". The Hindu. 15 March 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  7. ↑ "Top Narendra Modi aide put woman under police watch for 'sahib': Websites". Times of India. 16 November 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  8. ↑ "After Congress alleges he is 'stalking sahebzada', Narendra Modi retaliates". NDTV. 18 November 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  9. ↑ "Social media platforms being misused to help politicians, claims Cobrapost". The Hindu. 30 November 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  10. ↑ "Cobrapost's Operation Blue Virus: Is Narendra Modi's popularity on social media real?". Deccan Chronicle. 29 November 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  11. ↑ "Cobrapost sting Congress ‘dirty tricks’: BJP". The Hindu. 29 November 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  12. ↑ "Cong, BJP, BSP, JDU, AIADMK MPs willing to lobby for fake oil major for money: Sting op". Times of India. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  13. ↑ "Cobrapost exposes 11 MPs willing to lobby for oil company for money". India Today. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  14. ↑ "Operation Janmabhoomi: Press Release". Cobrapost. 3 April 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  15. ↑ "Babri demolition planned; Advani, P V Narasimha Rao knew of plot: Cobrapost sting". The Times of India. 4 April 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
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