'This Is A Little Ambitious' : Supreme Court Refuses To Entertain Arnab Goswami's Fresh Petition Against Mumbai Police FIR

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a writ petition filed by ARG Outlier Media Private Ltd(the company running Republic TV channels) and Arnab Goswami against the FIR registered by Mumbai police against the editorial team of the channels.

A bench comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and Indira Banerjee expressed disinclination to entertain the petition and suggested that the same be withdrawn and be pursued in other appropriate remedies.

Senior Advocate Milind Sathe, appearing for the petitioners, told the bench at the outset that the petition was filed seeking protection from the "hounding of the channel and its employees for last few months".

"This is a little ambitious, Mr. Sathe", Justice Chandrachud remarked after seeing the prayers in the petition such as direction to Union of India to grant protection to Republic TV employees, transfer all cases to CBI, restrain Maharashtra police from arresting the channel staff etc.

"You better withdraw this, Mr. Sathe", Justice Chandrachud suggested.

On this, Mr.Sathe sought liberty to pursue alternate remedies.

Accordingly, the petition was withdrawn without prejudice to the rights of the petitioners to seek alternate remedies.

It was on October 23 that the Mumbai police registered FIR against the anchors and the editorial team of the Republic TV alleging that they incited 'disaffection' among police officials with their report suggesting that a "revolt was brewing against Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh."

The FIR  was registered at NM Joshi Marg police station under Section 3(1) of the Police (Incitement to Disaffection) Act, 1922 read with Section 500, 34 of Indian Penal Code on a complaint filed by PSI Shashikant Pawar, Special Branch 1.

"By broadcasting such content, the channel and its journalists intentionally tried to incite disaffection among the police personnel against the police commissioner and the act also maligns Mumbai Police's image", the FIR alleged.

Recently, the same bench granted interim bail to Arnab Goswami in the FIR registered by Raigad police in the Anvay Naik abetment to suicide case.

In October, a bench led by Justice D Y Chandrachud had refused to entertain another writ petition filed by Goswami against the TRP scam FIR.

"Have faith in our High Courts", Justice Chandrachud had told Senior Advocate Harish Salve, who was appearing for Goswami then.

Earlier, in April, a bench headed by Justice Chandrachud had granted limited relief to Goswami by consolidating the multiple FIRs over the reportage of Palghar lynching and Bandra migrants gathering incidents but declined the plea to quash the FIRs and to transfer the probe to the CBI.