FIR filed against Arnab Goswami for spreading communal hate

This article talks about the recent FIR filed against Arnab Goswami for spreading communal hate.

The Bombay High Court has refused to grant Arnab Goswami, Editor-in-chief of Republic TV, exemption from appearance before the Mumbai police on Wednesday, 10th June in a case for allegedly creating communal hatred. His lawyer Mr. Harish Salve moved an exemption petition. The FIR was filed by Irfan Abubakar Shaikh, secretary, Raza Education Welfare Society for creating hatred for the Muslim community and targeting a Bandra-based mosque for carrying out the migrant protest, who wanted to go back to their native homes before the lockdown. Shaikh alleged that Goswami on 29th April, 2020 deliberately highlighted the mosque on his show, to create hatred. The FIR was filed under Sections 153A, 295A, 500, 505 (2) and 120B of IPC.

Arnab’s plea

A division bench of justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Riyaz Chagla, which was hearing his petition for exemption through video conferencing, quashed it and asked him to appear before Mumbai police on Wednesday, 10th June.

Goswami’s advocate Mr. Harish Salve said that “Goswami’s remarks on the show did not have any malafide intention and could be attributed to journalistic enthusiasm”.

During the hearing of exemption petition, the counsel for Maharashtra’s government, Mr. Kapil Sibal opposed the plea and demanded an interrogation, as the allegations appear to be sensitive in nature.

Last month, Goswami moved to Supreme Court, seeking quashing of all the FIRs lodged against him and transfer the case to CBI, but the Supreme Court refused to do so.

Arnab says, “I will come here and comply with the law”

On 10th June, Arnab Goswami was interrogated by Mumbai Police at 2 pm. The interrogation went for around 3 hours. Mr. Goswami very conveniently blamed Sonia Gandhi and Vadra Congress for the FIR and all other cases, which he said were fake. In his statement to the police he said, “truth is on my side; we will win” . He also accused the Mumbai Police for calling him for interrogation physically during the time of global pandemic. This is his second interrogation in 45 days. The first one lasted for 12 and a half hour on April 27th, regarding the Palghar lynching case.