News television network NDTV co-founders Prannoy and Radhika Roy were, on August 9, detained and stopped from flying abroad by authorities at Mumbai airport.

Even though it was not immediately clear as to which law enforcement

agency detained them, media reports suggested that the duo is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation in a money laundering case.

The Mumbai airport spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.

In a statement, the leading media company said both were stopped from traveling abroad on the basis of "a fake and wholly unsubstantiated corruption case initiated by CBI" two years ago.

Both of them were traveling to an undisclosed destination and were scheduled to return on August 16, the company said.

The development also comes over two years after the Roys were searched by the CBI in an alleged bank fraud.

The news network, which has been credited with pioneering television news in the country, had then called the action as a "witch hunt".

"We will not succumb to these attempts to blatantly undermine democracy and free speech," the news company had said in a statement then.

The Editors Guild had also expressed its concern in the matter.

In response to the incident, NDTV issued a statement calling it "complete subversion of basic rights".

The statement read: "In a complete subversion of basic rights, NDTV founders Radhika and Prannoy Roy were today prevented from leaving the country. Both journalists had tickets to return to India on the 16th, just a week later. They have been stopped from traveling abroad on the basis of a fake and wholly unsubstantiated corruption case initiated by the CBI that was filed two years ago and in which Radhika and Prannoy Roy have been fully cooperating. Today's action is, along with events like raids on media owners, a warning to the media to fall in line - or else. "

With inputs from PTI