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Updated: May 11, 2020 2:54:18 pm
On May 2, the Maharashtra government had approached the Supreme Court, accusing Arnab Goswami of “intimidating” investigators.
The Supreme Court on Monday extended provisional protection from arrest to Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami, and also reserved his order on the journalist’s request that the Mumbai police cancel a FIR in connection with a television program on the Migrant gathering outside Bandra Train Station on April 14.
The court also reserved his order in a statement seeking the transfer of the police case to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
In his plea, the journalist maintained that the “FIR is politically motivated” and that the Mumbai police “harbor ill will and malice” towards him. Goswami has sought protection against coercive action and annulment of the FIR.
During the hearing, defense defender Harish Salve called FIR a “arm twisting tactic” and said his client was questioned for more than 12 hours by Mumbai police amid the national shutdown. He also alleged that one of the officers who had examined him tested positive for Covid-19.
The lead attorney also said that the police officers’ actions will have a negative effect on press freedom. “The CEO of the company was interrogated for six hours. What does a company CEO have to do with a news broadcast?
Citing examples of questions asked by the police, Salve said: “The crime is to disrupt community harmony, but please see the nature of the investigation.” He was referring to the multiple FIRs against the journalist by congressional leaders and workers about his alleged derogatory statements against party leader Sonia Gandhi during a news program in the lynching of three people, including two sadhus, in Palghar in maharashtra
Introducing himself before the Maharashtra government, defender Kapil Sibal said: “You are stigmatizing people on sensational issues.” He added: “This communal farce has to stop. Decency and morality must be followed. He is making accusations against the Congress party. “
The FIR was introduced by the secretary of the Raza Educational Welfare Society, Irfan Abubakar Shaikh, alleging that Goswami attempted to create hatred against Muslims through the show.
In denying the charge, Goswami said in his plea: “Republic TV was the first television channel to report the fact that political interest groups, mainly leaders of Congress, were broadcasting false news and orchestrating prison violations in Mumbai … was a matter of national concern. ” . “
On April 24, while listening to a plea from Goswami, the Supreme Court granted him protection for three weeks against coercive actions related to these FIRs. The court had suspended all FIRs against him except one registered in Nagpur. The court transferred that FIR to Mumbai for investigation with the FIR regarding the alleged attack on Goswami and his wife.
On May 2, the state government reached out to the Supreme Court, accusing Goswami of “intimidating” investigators.
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