Media says Arun Shourie “summoned and to be questioned”

This entry into Media Watch is pertaining to the news appearing in Media that CBI has summoned Arun Shourie for questioning.

Times of India in its report 2G scam: CBI to question Arun Shourie on Feb 21 writes

The CBI approached Shourie last week asking him to appear before the agency in connection with the preliminary enquiry registered by the agency following a direction from the Supreme Court. ….he later conveyed to the agency that he will appearing before it on February 21 after his return from Kolkata.

Times Now goes even further and reports that CBI summons Shourie in 2G case writes

The Central Bureau of Investigation widens its investigations of the 2G spectrum allocation scam. Former telecom minister Arun Shourie is going to be questioned by the CBI on the the 2G scam. Shourie will be questioned on 21st February. Summons have been issued to him in relation to the 2G spectrum allocation policies he followed when he was the telecom minister in 2003.
Shourie speaking to TIMES NOW has played down the summons and said that he would meet the CBI officials whenever they want and that he would make himself available to the CBI on the February 21.

Arun Shourie will appear before the CBI in connection with the agency's probe into possible criminal aspects in the telecom policy since 2001. The CBI approached Shourie last week asking him to appear before the agency in connection with the Preliminary Enquiry registered by the agency following a direction from the Supreme Court.

So if one were to be believe Times Now, it would appear CBI has widened its investigations to include Arun Shourie and he will be questioned by CBI. When asked Arun Shourie tried to ‘downplay’ the summons

Deccan Chronicle gives an amusing twist in its report 2G scam: CBI summons Arun Shourie after 'warning' interview and writes

The Central Bureau of Investigation has summoned former Telecom Minister and senior BJP leader Arun Shourie for questioning in the 2G scam.

Shourie had claimed in an interview earlier that he had warned party colleagues Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, and even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the 2G scam. But he maintains, his words were completely ignored by everyone.Shourie also claimed that he had approached the Prime Minister with 'all the details of the front companies of sacked telecom minister A. Raja' and was promised a meeting with the PM’s principal secretary, but no call

Take notice how Deccan Chronicle tires to down play PM part.

Infact, todays Deccan Chronicle Says Shourie to be grilled by CBI (refer last screenshot)

Surprisingly, even Indian Express reports in their article 2G scam: CBI calls in Shourie for probe

The CBI approached Shourie last week asking him to appear before the agency in connection with the Preliminary Enquiry registered by the agency following a direction from the Supreme Court.

In  Aam Admi’s parlance, the words like summon and questioning are used when one is accused of a wrong doing and the police ‘summon’ you for ‘questioning’. So if we were to take Media reports at face value, CBI has ‘summoned’ Arun shourie for ‘questioning’…

But whats the fact?

To understand the actual facts, we have to back refer older news which were linked to Aruns interview,

Indian Express in their report ‘I named 2G front cos to PM in 2009’ 

Shourie, who has called up the CBI on various occasions to offer his assistance, said that he is going to meet the CBI on February 21. “I offered to meet them yesterday, but the officers said they had to prepare for their Court appearance. After I meet them, I will tell the press the exact questions they asked along with my reply.”

Even, NDTV in its report 2G spectrum probe: Arun Shourie to appear before CBI on Feb 21 writes

BJP leader and former Telecom Minister Arun Shourie will appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 21 in connection with its probe into the 2G spectrum scam. He has offered to explain to the agency all that he knows about the scam.

IBN in its report 2G scam: CBI to question Arun Shourie on Feb 21 writes

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has summoned former telecom minister Arun Shourie for questioning in connection to the 2G scam on February 21.

Shourie volunteered himself to be questioned on the scam. Shourie had told CNN-IBN that he had written a letter to the CBI seeking an appointment on February 21.

Indian Express reports details of Aruns conversation during Idea Exchange here. This is what exactly Arun Said 

Shekhar Gupta: Has the CBI been in touch with you?

Arun Shourie: I had rung up Mr. A P Singh, the CBI Director, about two months ago, saying that now that you are questioning former officials like Pradip Baijal and Vinod Vaish, I am sure you would want to question me, so I will come any day. The date has been fixed for February 21.

Amusingly, as always IBN took a risk free approach and tried to please both sides. Saving grace is they do report that Shourie “volunteered himself to be questioned”

So from the reports above it seems that Shourie was not “summoned for questioning” but he “volunteered himself to be questioned”. At first glace both seems to be same but first one usually is done by a accused while later is done by a honest and upright person with noble intentions.

We have to learn from our media to turn a “upright person with noble intentions” to someone who is “summoned for questioning”