Arnab alleges vendetta; SC reserves order on his pleas for quashing of FIRs

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 11

The Supreme Court, on Monday, reserved its order on Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami’s petitions seeking quashing of two FIRs against him for allegedly communalising lynching of two Hindu sadhus at Palghar and an incident of migrant workers gathering at Bandra railway station in Mumbai during the COVID-19 lockdown.

A Bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud — which will pronounce the verdict in two days — also extended protection given to him from coercive action by the Mumbai police.

On behalf of Goswami, senior advocate Harish Salve alleged that he was being targeted due to political vendetta.

“This is a political party targeting a journalist... all complainants are members of one political party (Congress). They have a problem with the government (Centre) and they want to teach this journalist (Arnab) a lesson,” Salve told the Bench.

He sought transfer of cases against Goswami to the CBI, saying there was a political problem between Maharashtra and the Centre.

“I have been caught in crossfire,” Arnab Goswami said.

Salve said interrogation of his client was done during the lockdown. “Our apprehensions have turned out to be true. Two officers, who interrogated him, were asymptomatic and now one has tested COVID-19 positive.”

Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta said: “This is the first case where the police come and say please insulate us as we are under pressure; and the accused says I don’t have faith in the police.”

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Maharashtra government, accused Goswami of sensationalising and stigmatising people.

During the hearing, the Supreme Court told Salve: “If you want quashing of the FIRs, then you can move the high court. We had earlier intervened due to multiplicity of the FIRs arising out of same cause of action.”

Arnab Goswami had, on May 5, moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of a fresh FIR registered against him by the secretary of the Raza Educational Welfare Society, Irfan Abubakar Shaikh, accusing him of disturbing communal harmony through his Hindi show on Republic Bharat by allegedly communalising the April 14 incident at the Bandra railway station.

Arnab Goswami is also facing probe in another case registered against him at Nagpur and transferred to Mumbai in connection with his alleged remarks against Congress president Sonia Gandhi during his shows on Republic TV on mob-lynching of two Hindu saints in Palghar, Maharashtra.

The Supreme Court had, on April 24, stayed all coercive action against Goswami for three weeks in connection with multiple FIRs by Congress workers, but had allowed probe into the Nagpur FIR.

Last week, the Maharashtra government had alleged before the Supreme Court that Goswami was attempting to “browbeat” the Mumbai police by “creating a fear psychosis”.

It had also accused Goswami of abusing the protection from coercive action given by the Court and urged it to issue directions to insulate the probe agency from any pressure, threat or coercion from Goswami and to enable it to carry out its lawful obligations.