The Supreme Court today reserved its order in the plea filed by Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami seeking quashing of FIRs filed against him for allegedly disturbing communal harmony. The Court has said that the interim protection granted to Goswami on April 24 will continue until the pronouncement of its order.
The Supreme Court Bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and MR Shah said this protection will continue to be in operation till the pronouncement of the Court’s order.
Court will also consider the prayer made for transferring the investigation against Goswami to an independent agency. It is understood that the claims made by the police of Goswami having resorted to pressure and threats would also be taken into account by the Court.
During the course of the arguments, Senior Counsel Harish Salve, appearing for Goswami, told the Court that the various FIRs filed against his client were identical and were all filed by members of the same political party. Referring to the Congress party, Salve said:
“This is a concerted attack by a political party against one journalist… They want to teach me (Goswami) a lesson.”
Senior Counsel Kapil Sibal, representing the State of Maharashtra, opposed the transfer of the probe to the CBI saying that the investigation would lean in Goswami’s favour should the same happen. This submission was taken objection to by the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.
SG Mehta said that the case brings forth certain peculiar aspects such as an Investigating agency approaching the Court seeking insulation from threat and pressure from the accused. To solve an issue of this nature, the probe must stand transferred to an independent agency, Mehta reasoned before the Court.
As regards the prayer for quashing of this FIR, the Court observed that the Bombay High Court may be moved. It was pointed out that the Court’s intervention earlier was so made given that multiple FIRs were filed against Goswami in various States. But for quashing on one FIR in Mumbai, the Bombay High Court may be moved, it was observed.
However, after hearing the detailed arguments on the aspect of transferring the probe against Goswami, the Court went on to reserve its order while holding that the interim protection to Goswami would continue till pronouncement of the order.
