On Friday, a 2-Judge Bench of the Supreme Court, comprising of Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice MR Shah will hear the petition filed by media baron Arnab Goswami. He has moved the apex court on Thursday, seeking a stay on the numerous First Information Reports (FIRs) filed against him for allegedly using ‘derogatory statements’ against Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi.
In his petition, Goswami has sought no coercive action against him on the basis of the FIRs under Article 19(1) (a) of the Constitution. A total of 16 cases have been registered in five different states of India, namely, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, against Arnab Goswami under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 153 (provocation), 505 (public mischief) and 505 (2).
Supreme Court bench of Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice MR Shah to hear tomorrow at 10.30 am, the petition filed by Arnab Goswami challenging the FIRs registered against him in various parts of the country. pic.twitter.com/3SmIn8MaML
— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2020
The Editor-in-Chief of the Republic TV had earlier questioned the “blatant silence” of Sonia Gandhi over the brutal lynching of two Sadhus at Palghar in Maharastra. In return, Congress leaders such as Ashok Gehlot demanded his sacking while two Youth Congress workers tried to physically assault him.
Attackers arrested
On April 23, Republic TV’s Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami and his wife were attacked by two bike-borne assailants about 500 metres from his residence in Mumbai. Goswami and his wife filed a written complaint to the NM Joshi Marg Police station naming two individuals, Arun Dilip Borade and Prateek Kumar Shyam Sunder Mishra of Mumbai who had allegedly attacked the couple.
In his written complaint, Goswami mentions that the duo had confessed they were part of the Yuva Congress. Soon after the attack, Congress leader Alka Lamba had hailed Yuva Congress on social media. OpIndia investigation has revealed that the two individuals named in the written complaint indeed appear to be associated with the Congress.
Arun Borade, on his Facebook, which he joined in May 2011, mentions that he is President of Indian Youth Congress, Sion Koliwada Assembly block. He has regularly shared pro-Congress posts on his Facebook page. While Prateek Mishra’s Facebook profile does not specify what post he holds within the Congress, but it does show his association with the party.
