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Now, Arnab Goswami accuses Mumbai Police of ‘malice’ over Republic TV report, moves SC

The FIR was registered Saturday by Raza Educational Welfare Society secretary Irfan Abubakar Shaikh, who accused Arnab Goswami of creating communal disturbance.

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New Delhi: Days after an FIR was registered against Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami for allegedly trying to disturb communal harmony, the senior journalist Monday approached the Supreme Court, demanding that the FIR be quashed.

The FIR was registered Saturday by Raza Educational Welfare Society secretary Irfan Abubakar Shaikh, who accused Goswami of creating communal disturbance over the gathering of migrant workers in Mumbai’s Bandra last month.

“The channel had telecasted the protest of migrants that had gathered near Bandra railway station on April 14, during which he (Goswami) had raised a question as to why are mob gathering only near mosques during lockdown,” according to Shaikh.

The FIR has been 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.

Goswami’s plea alleges that Shaikh’s complaint has been filed “with the intention to coerce and harass” him, and that it is “politically motivated”. The Maharashtra government, he said, “has been misusing the police machinery and resorting to underhanded tactics to silence” him.

He claimed the Mumbai Police “harbors ill-will and malice” towards him, and that it has registered the FIR because the police has been unable to “frame” him in the other FIR being probed by it.

Goswami had moved the Supreme Court last month after over multiple FIRs were filed against him across the country, accusing him of making “inflammatory statements” and defaming Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi.

On 24 April, the apex court granted him protection from arrest for three weeks, staying all FIRs against him, except for one in Nagpur. This FIR was ordered to be transferred to Mumbai, and is now being investigated by the Mumbai Police, along with the FIR filed by Goswami alleging that he was attacked in the city by two goons on a motorcycle on 23 April.

Referring to the investigation in that case, he now contended, “It is obvious that realising the difficulties being faced by the Mumbai Police in trying to frame the petitioner in that case, and in order to create yet some more grounds for harassing the petitioner, the Mumbai Police, has registered the FIR based on a complaint filed by the Respondent No 3 (Shaikh), which is patently false, vindictive, frivolous, malicious and precipitated with malice.”


Also read: Arnab Goswami vs Congress: Drama for TV ratings or attack on free speech?


‘Republic TV busted fake news’

Goswami’s petition submitted that his show in fact “unearthed a fake migrant crisis in Maharashtra in relation to a gathering” in Bandra, and that Republic TV’s ground presence ensured that it busted “fake news” being spread by the Congress.

Goswami also claimed the migrant crisis was “engineered” and submitted that “Republic TV’s team was at the forefront of blowing the cover from the case and ensuring the situation did not amplify and convert into a real migrant crisis”.

He contended the show was aired on 14 April and that this was a part of a “well- coordinated, orchestrated and malicious attempt to rake up older non issues”. 

Goswami also claimed to have “reasonable and tangible grounds to believe” that more complaints are going to be filed across the country, over the same incident. This, he asserted, is being done “at the behest of certain political parties having vested interest”.

He contended the FIR is “false, frivolous, precipitated with malice, untenable in law and has been filed with mala-fide intent at the behest of political parties and vested interests to coerce” him, and should be quashed. 

During the pendency of the petition, he demanded, the investigation into the FIR be stayed and no coercive action be taken against him. 


Also read: Maharashtra govt goes to SC against Arnab Goswami: Insulate police from ‘pressure, threat’


‘Coercive interrogation’

Goswami has also referred to his investigation by the Mumbai police in the FIR filed against him last month.

He pointed out that he was interrogated by the Mumbai Police on 27 April for 12 hours, submitting that this was “in nature of custodial and/or coercive interrogation”.

“The interrogation was clearly intended to intimidate the petitioner and create a sense of alarm in the petitioner,” he added. 

The chronology of events, he then said, led to a “reasonable inference that the actions of the Mumbai Police, acting at the behest of Indian National Congress and other political leaders are designed to teach the petitioner a lesson not to criticise the Congress party, its leaders and its allies”.

Goswami alleged that “there is ample proof to show that the entire state machinery is being used to put undue political pressure” on Republic TV and him.


Also read: How not to report: A lesson from Republic TV, Times Now, ABP covering Bandra migrants


 

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14 COMMENTS

  1. Arnab Goswami is a good presenter of news, but seems to have his own agenda to prevail every time. He will do well to take up more practical news relevant to the common man, and less of targetting of any party.

    • Sonia Gandhi and the current Congress is a terrorist group. More has been achieved in d’avoir of the people in 5 years than the last 80 years. To hell with supremacy of the Congress , which was the ink in every pen of every department in India both legal and illigal. Every news paper should have to guts to write what we all want so much: the Gandhi’s in jail and the end to the raj in Congress.

    • Sonia Gandhi and the current Congress is a terrorist group. More has been achieved in 5 years than the last 80 years. To hell with supremacy of the Congress , which was the ink in every pen of every department in India both legal and illigal. Every news paper should have the guts to write what we all want so much: the Gandhi’s in jail and the end to the raj in Congress.

    • Sonia Gandhi and the current Congress is a criminal group. More has been achieved in 5 years than the last 80 years. To hell with supremacy of the Congress , which was the ink in every pen of every department in India both legal and illigal. Every news paper should have the guts to write what we all want so much: the Gandhi’s in jail and the end to the raj in Congress.

      • If anybody criticise Sonia Gandhi , cases filed in different courts to harass the criticised person, This disc called Congress Legal Terrorism , Sonia and Rahul s Anticipatory bail should be cancelled .

  2. I’ve seen the video. Arnab is demanding why the crowd was gathered at a nearby Masjid at Bandra station. I am aware of the situation as my domestic help was one of them. The crowd gathered at Bandra Station demanding that they be allowed to go back home. And there happens to be a masjid just near the gathering spot and the police wanted to use the masjid’s announcement system to control the crowd.

  3. Why Thug Bangladeshi Arnab is afraid & running to S C frequently if he has not aired any false news .Why SC is entertaining him & sending other petitioners to lower courts telling that first go to lower court or Arnab is pet dog of SC also.

    • Why shouldn’t he seek SC courts intervention
      After all this is democratic country. It is not anyone’s property. How can you call such language for a journalist of his calibre

      • He has a good show,but as a man he is slimy and as a journalist he is phony and pugilistic. I saw his show,he wants to brow beat his guests.I will reiterate that his show contents are good and patriotic but the man himself………

  4. I for neither party but this issue could have been settled had SC decided what Arnab spoke on Palghar killing amounted to spreading hate or creating communal discord or not after Arnab standing by what he said.Now its dragging on.

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