Mumbai Police to now question Arnab Goswami on show accused of creating communal disturbance

Republic TV editor Arnab Goswami will be interrogated tomorrow in connection with an FIR that says he tried to disturb communal harmony through his 29 April show.

Republic TV editor-in-chief and owner Arnab Goswami | Twitter/Republic TV File photo

Mumbai: The Mumbai Police has summoned Republic TV editor and owner Arnab Goswami on Wednesday, 10 June for another round of interrogation in connection with a complaint filed against him for allegedly creating communal disturbance through his TV show aired on 29 April.

The summons relate to a complaint filed against Goswami on 2 May by Irfan Abubakar Shaikh of the Raza Educational Welfare Society, accusing him of creating communal disturbance over the gathering of migrant workers in Mumbai’s Bandra in April. The complainant said Goswami in his 29 April show tried to spread hatred against Muslims .

Pranay Ashok, Deputy Commissioner of Police and Mumbai Police PRO, said, “The Mumbai Police has called Arnab Goswami for questioning in connection with the FIR (lodged) at the Pydhonie police station. This is the first time we will be interrogating him in this case.”

The Bombay High Court has, however, allowed him to appear at the NM Joshi Marg police station, and not at Pydhonie, which is a containment zone.

The DCP said the Mumbai Police has also summoned S. Sundaram, Republic TV’s Chief Financial Officer, on 10 June for questioning in the case.

The FIR was filed under sections 153 (provocation with intent to cause riot), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 295A (outraging religious feelings of any class of citizens), 500 (defamation), 505(2) (statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill will between classes) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

HC asks Goswami to appear at NM Joshi Marg police station 

In a related development, the Bombay High Court Tuesday refused to stay the Mumbai Police probe against Goswami in another FIR registered against him for alleged derogatory language against Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and “inflammatory statements” made during a debate on the Palghar lynching incident. 

Hearing Goswami’s petition to quash two FIRs filed in Nagpur and Mumbai against him and the channel, a bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Riyaz Chagla also declined to grant him exemption from personal appearance before the police. 

The senior journalist was, however, granted protection from arrest. 

Goswami had approached the High Court after the Supreme Court on 19 May dismissed his petition to quash the criminal cases or transfer them to the Central Bureau of Investigation from the Mumbai Police.

Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Goswami, asked the bench Tuesday to exempt Goswami from appearing before the police. As the arguments in the case remained inconclusive, Salve also said the interrogation scheduled for Wednesday should be deferred, and that Goswami would not be able to go to the Pydhonie police station because it falls in a containment zone.

But senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing on behalf of the Maharashtra government, opposed Salve’s contention, and said the senior journalist could go to the NM Joshi Marg police station, instead.

The bench then asked Salve why Goswami did not want to appear before the police. When Salve repeated his request to defer the interrogation, Sibal said: “Why is he afraid of facing the investigation officer? He goes to his studio every day. Is he a special person that he will not be interrogated?”

The court then directed Goswami to appear before the NM Joshi Marg police, as it also granted him protection from arrest and fixed 12 June as the next date of hearing.

The police later said the senior journalist would be questioned at the NM Joshi Marg Police station, which comes under Zone 3 of the Mumbai Police, from 11 am.

“Arnab Goswami will be questioned tomorrow at 11 am at the NM Joshi Marg police station. The interrogation will, however, be with regards to the FIR registered at the Pydhonie police station,” said Abhinash Kumar, DCP, Zone 3, told ThePrint.

Previous interrogation 

In April, the Mumbai Police had interrogated Goswami for more than 12 hours at Mumbai’s NM Joshi Marg police station in connection with a case related to the Republic TV editor’s comments on Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

According to the complaint, Goswami used derogatory language against Sonia Gandhi and made “inflammatory statements” during a debate on Republic TV about an incident in Maharashtra’s Palghar where two sadhus and their driver were lynched.

The complaint was originally filed with the Nagpur police but was later transferred to Mumbai’s NM Joshi Marg police station after a Supreme Court order.

In May, the Supreme Court had ordered the quashing of multiple FIRs filed against Goswami in several states along the same lines. It also said no new FIR can be filed in this case. However, the apex court said the primary FIR in the case, filed with the Nagpur Police and later  transferred to the Mumbai Police, stands and will continue as is.

This report was updated to reflect developments at the Bombay HC Tuesday.

With Bhadra Sinha in New Delhi.