The Bombay High Court on Tuesday, 30 June, granted interim relief to Arnab Goswami, chief editor of Republic TV, in connection with the two FIRs filed against him by the Mumbai Police over his allegedly communal coverage of the Palghar lynching and the gathering of migrant workers in Bandra.
While observing that "prima facie, no case was made out against him," a division bench of Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Riyaz Chagla ordered that no coercive action shall be taken against Goswami.
Goswami was booked under Sections 153, 153 A, 153 B, 295 A, 298, 500, 504, 505(2), 5. Earlier, the two-judge bench had reserved their orders on the petitions on 12 June.
Appearing for Goswami, senior advocates Harish Salve and Milind Sathe argued that the FIRS against the Republic TV Chief Editor were politically motivated and were an attempt to suppress voices critical of the Maharashtra government.
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