India’s Zee attempts to block investors’ EGM demand in court
October 2, 2021
MUMBAI (Reuters) – India’s Zee Entertainment Enterprises said on Saturday it had filed a petition in court against a notice issued by two institutional investors pushing the media company to call for a meeting of shareholders.
Zee’s board on Friday rejected calls from Invesco Developing Markets Fund and OFI Global China Fund LLC for an extraordinary general meeting, citing the lack of approvals required from India’s capital markets regulator and the federal broadcasting ministry for initiating changes to a company’s board.
Invesco and OFI, which together own 17.88% of Zee, want its chief executive Punit Goenka to be removed and a board revamp.
The two investors filed a petition at India’s companies court after Zee last week signed a merger deal with Sony Group Corp’s India unit to create the country’s largest broadcaster.
Goenka is set to become head of the new venture.
The next hearing for the case is scheduled for Oct. 4.
(Reporting by Nupur Anand and Sankalp Phartiyal; Editing by Alexander Smith)