Kerala HC Stays Criminal Defamation Case Against Arnab Goswami Filed By Shashi Tharoor

The High Court of Kerala yesterday stayed the proceedings in the criminal defamation case filed by Shashi Tharoor MP against Arnab Goswami, Editor-in-Chief of Republic TV.

Goswami moved the High Court under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Proceedings seeking to quash the proceedings in the criminal case filed in Chief Judicial Magsitrate's Court, Thiruvananthapuram by Tharoor. Tharoor has alleged that Goswami had made defamatory statements against him in a program aired in Republic TV in relation to the demise of his wife, Sunanda Pushkar. In response to the complaint, the had  CJM recorded satisfaction that there existed a prima-facie case to initiate the trial of Goswami and officially summoned him to appear on February 28.

P Vijaya Bhanu, Senior Advocate who appeared for Goswami in the High Court, submitted that Tharoor filed the complaint suppressing the fact that charge-sheet has been filed by the police against him for abetment of suicide of his wife. It was also stated that the Tharoor's criminal complaint was filed with mala fides in furtherance of his personal enmity against Goswami

On hearing the arguments for admission, Justice Abraham Mathew issued notice to the Tharoor and ordered interim stay of proceedings.

A civil defamation case by Tharoor claiming Rs.2 crores damages from Goswami in relation to same cause is pending in the Delhi High Court.