The Supreme Court today heard a petition filed by Republic Media Network Chief and MD, Arnab Goswami, seeking quashing of a fresh FIR filed against him by Mumbai based Raza Academy. The FIR was filed by the alleged NGO after Arnab Goswami questioned the authenticity of the Bandra migrant crisis, further suggesting, on live television, that the incident was a pre-planned one done with the intention to create chaos in Mumbai. The FIR by Raza Academy comes at the backdrop of the Congress party, headed by Sonia Gandhi, running a concerted campaign of pinning Goswami to the wall, by filing innumerable FIR’s against him in states ruled by the party.
Ace international lawyer and senior advocate Harish Salve was seen representing Arnab Goswami in the Supreme Court today. Making some remarkable arguments on behalf of the senior journalist, Harish Salve ensured that the interim protection granted to Goswami from arrest be extended until the top court pronounces its judgement, which has, as of today, been reserved.
Supreme Court is hearing petition filed by Republic TV Editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami seeking quashing of FIR against him, this time in relation to disturbing communal harmony after the Bandra migrant incident.#SupremeCourt#ArnabGoswami@republic
— Bar and Bench (@barandbench) May 11, 2020
Salve argued that the marathon 12 hour questioning of Arnab Goswami on the charges filed against him was a brazen “arm-twisting” tactic employed by the Mumbai Police. Further, in a big revelation, Harish Salve stated that one of the two interrogating officers has tested positive for COVID-19.
He also informed the top court that Arnab was called in for physical questioning by the NM Joshi Marg Police station, even after repeated requests by Arnab to conduct the same via video conferencing, keeping in mind the situation which has arisen in Mumbai due to the pandemic. These requests were rejected by the police, despite the fact that the police station in question now faces the threat of a COVID-19 outbreak.
Salve points out that Police is investigating an FIR in relation to a debate telecast which raises questions about the role of the Police itself.
He adds that questioning was carried out during the lockdown period by two officers one of whom has tested positive for #COVID-19
— Bar and Bench (@barandbench) May 11, 2020
Salve invoked Article 19(1)(a) and the question of Freedom of the Press, enquiring as to whether the Police and CRPC can be applied to telecasts and opinions, either on TV or in print, without any checks and safeguards? “This will have a chilling effect of the freedom of the press“, Salve said.
Harish Salve also pleaded the top court to order a transfer of the said set of enquiries to the CBI, since clearly, the Mumbai Police is not carrying out the investigation in true faith and without any bias. Salve then submitted that the action against Goswami is a concertecampaignby one political party (read: Congress) against a journalist. “They want to teach this journalist a lesson,” he further argued.
Salve argues that all the complainants in the first set of FIRs were members of one political party.
"They want to teach this journalist a lesson," Salve tells SC.#SupremeCourt #ArnabGoswami@republic
— Bar and Bench (@barandbench) May 11, 2020
The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict on the transfer of the cases to CBI for later this week, while extending Arnab’s interim protection until the verdict is pronounced. For Arnab Goswami to be represented in the country’s top court by Harish Salve is just another reason for the Congress to fear him all the more, since it is now definitely on a weak wicket, and faces a potential embarrassment in the near future for trying to muzzle a journalist’s voice.
This is not the first time that Arnab Goswami has been represented by Harish Salve. In fact, when he was with Times Now, it was Salve who represented him in a Rs. 100 crore defamation case. Moreover, Arnab Goswami and Harish Salve are said to have played an instrumental role together, in setting up the News Broadcasters Association (NBA).
Harish Salve is a lawyer par excellence, and is credited with ensuring justice for Kulbhushan Jadhav, an Indian citizen about to be given the death penalty by Pakistan’s kangaroo courts. Harish Salve had ensured a stay on the same, by impeccably arguing India’s case at the International Court of Justice.
Salve, during the peak of the anti-CAA protests, had debunked all theories of the legislation being unconstitutional, and had also vouched for the constitutionality of the same.
Harish Salve is one of India’s most exorbitant lawyers, yet, reports suggest that he has never charged Arnab Goswami in the past. The man also fought for Kulbhushan Jadhav free of cost, at a time when the clown of an attorney put forward by Pakistan to argue their case galloped away with large sums of money, even after losing the case. All said and done, the Congress will not have it easy any longer, now that Arnab Goswami is being represented by a formidable lawyer like Salve.