The tussle between Republic TV Editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami and Mumbai Police continues as the latter opened yet another front against the journalist. In the latest attack on the media network, the Mumbai Police has issued a show-cause notice to the Republic TV Editor-in-Chief under Section 108 of CrPC citing his alleged communal comments on Palghar mob lynching of Sadhus.
Mumbai Police issues a show-cause notice under Section 108 CrPC to @republic TV’s #ArnabGoswami over his alleged communal comments on #PalgharMobLynching case@MumbaiPolice @CPMumbaiPolice #RepublicTV pic.twitter.com/TL8dtxN120
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) October 14, 2020
The show-cause notice is issued by Assistant police commissioner Sudhir Jambavdekar, in his capacity as special executive magistrate, to Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami asking him why he should not be asked to execute a bond of good behaviour. In case he violates the bond, he would have to pay a penalty of Rs 10 lakh. Goswami has been asked to appear before the ACP on October 16.
Goswami is issued the show-cause notice under Section 108(1)(a) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) which empowers an executive magistrate to issue a show-cause notice on why a person accused of offences against public peace should not be ordered to execute a bond, with or without sureties, for his good behaviour for a period not exceeding one year.
Notice issued in the light of two FIRs against Arnab Goswami
The notice was issued on the heels of offences registered against the Republic TV editor-in-chief under Sections 153A and 153B of the Indian Penal Code for purported violation of public tranquility and “promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc. and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony.”
The notice includes the details of the two FIRs lodged against Goswami. The first one claims that the journalist made incendiary remarks on April 21 regarding the Palghar lynching case and thereby incited communal hatred. The second FIR cited in the notice mentions the coverage of his channel regarding a massive crowd gathered outside Bandra station on April 14 in the midst of lockdown. The notice said that the news attempted to drive a wedge between communities.
Arnab Goswami and Mumbai Police at loggerheads with each other
Mumbai Police and Arnab Goswami are at loggerheads with each other ever since the latter referred to interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi with her maiden name “Antonio Maino” while questioning her silence on the Palghar lynching case. Since then, Arnab has been embroiled into protracted legal wrangling, with many FIRs filed against him and the police putting him through the wringer for more than 11 hours.
More recently, Republic TV was named in a press conference by Mumbai Police which alleged the organisation of indulging in TRP manipulation. However, the police were exposed when the complaint filed against TRP manipulation did not mention Republic TV and instead had India Today in it. Following the exposure, Mumbai police is actively trying to burry the case against India Today, and has been summoning Republic officials to know where they obtained the documents that exposed the lie of Mumbai police.
