"Acts Of Mumbai Police & Congress Eco-System In Connivance" Arnab Goswami Seeks Quashing Of New FIRs Alleging Communalisation Of Bandra Migrants Incident

In another development, Republic TV Editor In Chief Arnab Goswami has moved the Top court seeking quashing of FIR filed against him alleging communalisation of Bandra Migrant incident on his prime time show.

Notably, the plea comes just a day after the Maharashtra Government preferred a plea seeking intervention of the Supreme Court for restraining the Journalist vis-à-vis "browbeating" the police and hampering investiagation.

The FIR which has been sought to be quashed has been filed by Irfan Abubakar Shaikh, Secretary of Raza Educational Welfare Society, alleging that Goswami had designated the migrant workers assembled in Mumbai's Bandra on April 14 as "Actors" who had been placed there by "anti-national" elements.

The FIR was registered by Shaikh in Pydhonie Police Station, Mumbai under provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), i.e. Section 153 (provocation with the intent to cause riot), Section 153A (promoting enmity between groups), 295A (outraging religious feelings of any class of citizens) as well as Sections 500, 505 (2), 511 and 120 B.

The rationale of the prayer for quashing plea rests on the principle of double jeopordy, wherein no FIR can be registered by the Police on the same cause of action, as has already been enunciated in the present writ petition.

"It is obvious that realizing the difficulties being faced by the Mumbai Police in trying to frame the Petitioner in that case, and in order to create yet some more grounds for harassing the Petitioner, the Mumbai Police, has registered the FIR based on a complaint filed by the Respondent No 3, which is patently false, vindictive, frivolous, malicious and precipitated with malice" Goswami avers in his plea.

Furthermore, Goswami rejects the allegation raised in the FIR as in terms of investigations carried out by his channel, "Republic TV unearthed a fake migrant crisis in the State of Maharashtra in relation to a gathering" which he contends exposes the "Congress Party Eco System".

"While Republic TV was reporting the truth to ensure that there was no undue panic amongst the people, the Congress party eco system was provoking people and spreading fake news regarding a fake migrant crisis" Goswami justifies.

 Goswami goes on to state that it is outright clear that several complaints shall be filed against the Journalist "at the behest of certain political and vested interests" so as to silence his constitutional rights guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) & 21. In this regard, the plea highlights the alleged course of action that had led to filing of multiple FIRs across the country against him.

"....filing of multiple complaints simultaneously in various states by members of the Indian National Congress and their supporter demanding the immediate arrest of the Petitioner by promoting an online campaign using the hateful phrase #ArrestAntiIndiaArnab" - Petition by Arnab Goswami.

In this backdrop, Goswami avers that any investigation initiated after the one filed against him in Nagpur be quashed and a registration of any FIR at the behest of "servants and agents" of the State of Maharashtra be prohibited.

On April 24, the Supreme Court had granted Three weeks protection from arrest to Arnab Goswami,  on the basis of the FIRs filed against him in States of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Jammu & Kashmir basis allegations of Communal statements and defamation of Sonia Gandhi.

Respondents  also sought protection of his family as well as colleagues at Republic TV.

Petition has been filed by Advocate Pragya Baghel.