The Maharashtra Government, on Tuesday, has filed an application on behalf of the Deputy Commissioner of Mumbai in the Supreme Court of India against the chief of Republic TV, Arnab Goswami.
In the application submitted to the apex court, the government has alleged that the anchor is ‘hampering the investigation’ and ‘browbeating’ the police through his daily shows on the Television. The government, in the application, further said that the official twitter handle of the Republic TV has alleged that the Mumbai Police has been biased against Goswami. The twitter handle has also claimed that the police had unnecessarily questioned Goswami for several hours. The application also mentions his show titled ‘Puchta Hai Bharat’ where he had allegedly made false remarks and claims of corruption against the Deputy Commissioner of Mumbai Police. The application further said that,
“The petitioner (Goswami) had gone on air narrating his story and also carried his entourage of reporters, cameraman, etc inside the police station, where he virtually commanded the police to do certain certain things and act in a certain way, as propounded by him. Ever since the occurrence and registration of the case, the petitioner has made a media spectacle of the entire incident at every stage.”
Government seeks to insulate the investigating agency
The application further went onto condemn Arnab Goswami for misusing his position as a journalist. The application claims that the petitioner has misused his position as a journalist and the editor-in-chief of a TV channel with an intention of browbeating, terrorizing and intimidating the investigating officer of the Mumbai Police.
In order to carry out a fair and transparent investigation of the case, the Maharashtra government has appealed to the Supreme Court to ‘insulate the investigating agency from any pressure, threat and coercion’.
During the far end of April, various FIRs were filed against the Chief of Republic TV for his alleged derogatory remarks against the interim president of the Congress party over the incident on lynching in Palghar which claimed three lives including that of two Sadhus. On the 24th of April, three days after FIRs were filed, the Supreme Court granted interim protection to the anchor. The Mumbai Police is investigating the matter.
Source: Free Press Journal
