The Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) of the Mumbai Police on Tuesday filed a third chargesheet before a magistrate #39;s court here in the alleged fake Television Ratings Points (TRP) scam.
Tag: Arnab goswami
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Bombay HC extends interim relief for Arnab Goswami in suicide abetment case
By PTI
MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Friday extended its earlier order granting interim protection to Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami and exempted him from appearing before a magistrates court at Alibag in Raigad district in connection with an abetment to suicide case.Goswami and two others Firoze Sheikh and Nitish Sarda are accused of abetting the suicide of Alibag-based interior designer Anvay Naik in May 2018 over alleged non- payment of dues by the companies of the accused persons.
The trio has moved the high court seeking to quash the FIR and subsequent chargesheet filed by the police against them.
They had sought interim protection and exemption from appearance before a magistrates court in Alibag, a coastal town in Raigad district located around 100km from Mumbai.
The accused persons have to appear before the magistrates court for committal of trial in the case to a sessions court.
The high court had on March 5 granted the three accused persons exemption from appearance before the court and said it would hear the petitions on April 16.
Goswamis counsel Sanjog Parab on Friday told the court that since April 16 has been declared as a holiday by the high court, the petitions could be heard later.
The interim order granting the petitioner (Goswami) exemption may be extended as the next date before the magistrate is April 26, Parab said.
A division bench of Justices S S Shinde and Manish Pitale agreed and said it would hear the petitions on April 23.
Accordingly, we extend the interim relief of exemption from appearance until further orders, the court said.
Goswami and the other two accused were arrested on November 4, 2020.
After the arrest, they had sought urgent bail from the high court which rejected their pleas following which they moved the Supreme Court.
The apex court granted the trio bail on November 11, 2020.
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TRP scam: Give prior notice of 3 days before arresting Arnab, says HC
By PTI
MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the Mumbai Police to give the advance notice of three days to Republic TV’s editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami if it wanted to arrest him in the Television Rating Point (TRP) scam case.A bench of Justices SS Shinde and Manish Pitale also accepted the statement made by the Maharashtra government that the probe against Republic TV, other employees of ARG Outlier Media which runs all Republic TV channels, and other television channels, will be completed within 12 weeks.
The court was hearing a bunch of pleas filed by Goswami and ARG media seeking several reliefs in the case.
The petitioners had claimed the crime branch of the Mumbai police had no evidence against them but it was prolonging the probe by merely naming them as suspects in the chargesheet.
In the last hearing on Monday, the HC told the police that it could not go on investigating for months without naming someone as accused in a case.
Citing the material on record, the HC felt that the police did not have anything substantial against Goswami in the case.
The petitioners’ counsel Ashok Mundargi had urged the high court to protect Goswami and other ARG employees named as suspects in the chargesheet from any coercive action till the time the probe is on.
On Wednesday, while the bench directed the police to give a prior notice of three days to Goswami if it chose to summon or arrest him in the case, it said such relief cannot be granted to several unnamed employees in the petition, who were merely suspects and not accused.
The HC said Mundargi’s request for a stay on the investigation could not be granted as there was “no clarity on who was the accused and who was not”.
“If during the course of the investigation, you come across something and you want to take coercive action against petitioner number 2, then you will give 72 hours’ prior notice (to Goswami),” the bench said.
The HC will continue hearing the arguments on June 28.
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Bombay HC says police do not seem to have any substantial evidence against Arnab Goswami in TRP case
By PTI
MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Thursday said that even after three months’ probe Mumbai Police did not seem to have anything “on record” to make Republic TV editor- in-chief Arnab Goswami and other employees of ARG Outlier Media accused in the TRP scam case.A bench of Justices S S Shinde and Manish Pitale also asked the Maharashtra government when the probe will be over.
The government must be reasonable and if police did not find anything incriminating against Goswami and others, it must accept it and make a statement to the effect, the court said.
“The investigation is going on for the last three months.
We don’t see anything that has surfaced on record to arraign the petitioners as accused,” the bench said.
The observations came after Chief Public Prosecutor Deeps Thakare informed that the police was still collecting evidence in the case, and wanted to continue the investigation against ARG Outlier Media, the company that runs Republic TV channels, and Goswami.
The court, however, said a probe can not go on “forever”.
“ED, CBI, state police, all should act with reasonableness, objective assessment.
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They should not appear to be another form of trouble,” it said.
The high court was hearing final arguments on pleas filed by Goswami and ARG Outlier Media seeking several reliefs in the TRP scam case.
Petitioners’ lawyer, senior advocate Ashok Mundargi told the HC that the Mumbai police’s crime branch was dragging out the probe, without naming Goswami and other employees of ARG as accused but merely naming them as suspects in the chargesheet.
At this the bench said the state must make clear how long was the police likely to take to complete its probe.
“At which point will your officer say that there is reason to believe that there is reason to arrest (Goswami and other employees)?” the bench asked.
“You cannot have it both ways.
You cannot not make them accused and then say you have evidence.
If you have evidence make them accused so that they know what kind of relief can be granted against them,” it said.
The HC, at the same time, also clarified that it had not formed any opinion about the case.
“Don’t misunderstand.
We have not formed our opinion at all,” it said.
Among other things, ARG Outlier Media and Goswami have sought protection from coercive action such as arrest, and quashing of the FIR against them.
They have also demanded transfer of the probe to the CBI or any other “independent agency”.
The court is currently hearing arguments on whether FIR can be quashed when the probe is ongoing and petitioners are yet to be named as accused.
The hearing will continue on Monday.
Earlier, the police had denied petitioners’ allegation that the probe was a political vendetta against Republic TV for its political coverage.
There was evidence to show that Goswami had connived with senior officials of the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) to rig the TRP of Republic TV, police alleged.
The Republic TV has denied any wrongdoing.
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Why Mumbai police held press conference over TRP scam? Asks Bombay HC
By PTI
MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday asked what had prompted the Mumbai police to hold a press conference last year over the alleged Television Rating Points (TRP) scam.“Does the police have an obligation to interact with the press? Why did the commissioner (of police) have to speak to the press?” a bench of Justices SS Shinde and Manish Pitale asked.
The court was hearing pleas filed by ARG Outlier Media Pvt Ltd, the company that owns Republic TV channels, and by journalist Arnab Goswami, seeking, among other reliefs, that the Mumbai police’s probe into the TRP scam be transferred to the CBI or any other independent agency.
The bench was responding to the arguments made by the ARG Outlier Media’s counsel, senior advocate Ashok Mundargi.
Mundargi told the high court that the police had malafide intentions behind holding the press conference in October last year.
He also said there was no evidence against Republic TV and its Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, but the police were trying to name them as accused “by hook or by crook”.
“The police were feeding the press that a particular scam took place. This points out that there was not sufficient material to say whatever was being said,” Mundargi argued.
He also said the police had arrested some employees of the ARG Outlier Media and named them as accused persons in their remand applications.
However, in the charge sheet, the police had named the channel and ARG Outlier Media’s employees merely as suspects, he said.
Mundargi also said that Sachin Waze, who had been handling the probe into the alleged scam, and who is now suspended over his alleged involvement in another case, was a controversial officer.
“The investigation has taken a peculiar angle. In the charge sheet they are suspects, they are arrested and then they are shown as wanted accused,” Mundargi said.
“The officer (Waze) is also very controversial. This is the chain of events,” he said.
The HC will continue hearing the final arguments in the case on Wednesday. The Maharashtra government’s statement made earlier this month to refrain from taking any coercive action against Goswami and the ARG Outlier Media’s employees will continue till then.
The ARG Outlier Media and Goswami approached the HC last year filing a bunch of petitions seeking several reliefs in the TRP scam.
They alleged that the whole case was malafide and they had been targeted for Republic TV’s reportage in connection with the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput and the Palghar lynching case last year.
The Mumbai police in January this year filed two affidavits in the TRP case through Commissioner of Police Param Bir Singh and ACP Shashank Sandbhor of the crime branch, saying they had not targeted the Republic TV or its employees.
The police said their probe into the case was not a result of any political vendetta and there was evidence to show that Goswami had connived with senior officials of the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) to rig the TRP of Republic TV.
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More time for panel to submit report on breach of privilege notices against Arnab, Kangana
By PTI
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra legislature on Friday extended till the last day of next legislature session the time for the privileges committee to submit its report on breach of privilege notices against journalist Arnab Goswami and Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut.A proposal for deadline extension was moved in the Assembly by privileges committee chairman Deepak Kesarkar.
Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik had submitted the breach of privilege notices against Goswami and Ranaut to the office of the Assembly Speaker on September 7 for their “objectionable” comments.
Sarnaik had taken objection to Goswami’s comments against chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and other ministers while reporting on the Sushant Singh Rajput death case.
ALSO READ | TRP scam: Interim relief to Arnab Goswami to continue till March 16
The breach of privilege notice against Ranaut was for comparing Mumbai with Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK).
Shiv Sena MLC Manisha Kayande had moved the breach of privilege motion in the Legislative Council against Republic TV editor-in-chief Goswami on September 8 last year.
Similarly, Congress MLC Ashok alias Bhai Jagtap had moved a motion against Ranaut on the same day, accusing her of making objectionable remarks about Mumbai and the city police.
The actress last year waded into a controversy after she likened Mumbai to POK and also stated that she feared the Mumbai police more than the movie mafia.
The two houses extended the time of the privileges committee to submit its report on the notices till the end of the next legislature session.
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TRP scam: Interim relief to Arnab Goswami to continue till March 16
By PTI
MUMBAI: The Mumbai police on Friday told the Bombay High Court that its assurance of not taking any coercive action against journalist Arnab Goswami and other employees of ARG Outlier Media that runs Republic TV channels, in the TRP scam case, shall continue till March 16.Senior counsel Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Mumbai police, told a division bench of Justices S S Shinde and Manish Pitale that the police’s earlier statement of no coercive action against Goswami and other employees shall be extended till March 16.
The court was hearing a petition filed by ARG Outlier Media, challenging the FIR and the charge sheet filed by the city police for alleged manipulation of television rating points (TRP).
The court accepted Sibal’s statement and posted the matter for final hearing on March 16.
The bench will hear ARG’s main prayers challenging the police’s investigation and seeking the transfer of probe to the CBI or any other independent agency, on March 16 via physical hearing.
ARG media and Goswami approached the HC last year filing a bunch of petitions seeking several reliefs in the TRP scam.
They alleged that the whole case was malafide and that they had been targeted for Republic TV’s reportage in the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, and the Palghar lynching case, last year.
The Mumbai police had in January this year filed two affidavits in the case through the commissioner of police, Param Bir Singh, and ACP Shashank Sandbhor of the crime branch, saying it had not targeted Republic TV or its employees.
The police had said its probe was not a result of any political vendetta and that there was evidence to show that Goswami had connived with senior officials of the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) to rig the TRP of Republic TV.
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Arnab Goswami gets exemption from appearance in suicide abetment case
By PTI
MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Friday granted interim exemption to TV journalist Arnab Goswami from appearing before a magistrates court at Alibaug in adjoining Raigad district in connection with an abetment to suicide case.The relief has been granted till April 16.
Goswami, the Republic TV Editor-in-Chief, and two others are accused of abetting the suicide of Alibaug-based interior designer Anvay Naik, who killed himself in 2018 over alleged non-payment of dues by the companies of the accused.
They were arrested on November 4, 2020.
The accused failed to get relief from the HC after which they approached the Supreme Court which granted them bail on November 11.
On Friday, Goswamis advocate Sanjog Parab told a division bench of Justices S S Shinde and Manish Pitale his client has been directed to appear before the Chief Judicial Magistrate at Alibaug, a coastal town 100km from Mumbai, on March 10 for committal of the trial in the case to a sessions court.
The HC was hearing a petition filed by Goswami challenging the FIR lodged against him by the Raigad police in the case and the subsequent chargesheet submitted in the local court.
The 47-year-old journalist, who has denied charges levelled against him in the case, has sought the HC to quash the FIR.
Parab sought the HC to grant Goswami exemption from appearance in the local court.
Since we are seized of the matter, we grant the petitioner (Goswami) protection with regard to exemption from appearance till April 16 when we will hear the plea further, the court said in its order.
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TRP scam: Bombay High Court extends Arnab Goswami’s interim relief till March 5
By PTI
MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court hearing the TRP scam case on Friday extended till March 5 the interim protection against coercive action granted to journalist Arnab Goswami and other employees of ARG Outlier Media that runs Republic TV channels.The interim relief was extended after the high court adjourned the hearing on ARG’s plea challenging the investigation of Mumbai police in the TRP scam case.
Friday’s hearing was adjourned after the Maharashtra government’s counsel, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, pointed out that in its rejoinder affidavit filed last week to counter the police’s charge sheet, ARG had relied upon several new documents that were not part of its petition.
Sibal said that since he would need time to respond to the new documents, ARG’s counsel senior lawyer Harish Salve must not rely upon those documents during his day’s arguments.
Salve, however, insisted on relying upon those documents.
The court then adjourned the hearing after accepting Sibal’s statement that the interim protection granted to Goswami and the others will continue till the next date.
A bench of Justices S S Shinde and Manish Pitale said it will hear the plea through video-conferencing only for its interim prayer of protection on March 5.
The bench will hear ARG’s main prayers challenging the police’s investigation and seeking the transfer of probe to the CBI or any other independent agency, on March 16 via physical hearing.
Salve told the court that he had taken the vaccination for COVID 19 recently and was due for the next shot of the vaccine six weeks later.
Therefore, he will not be able to travel to attend the physical hearing.
The court then intervened on a lighter vein and asked the Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, when the judges and senior lawyers were likely to get the vaccine? “I am deviating, but Mr Singh (ASG), why is vaccination not happening for us also?” the bench asked.
ARG media and Goswami had approached the high court last year, filing a bunch of petitions seeking several reliefs in the TRP scam.
They alleged that the whole case was malafide and that they have been targeted for Republic TV’s reportage in the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, and the Palghar lynching case, last year.
Last month, the Mumbai police had filed two affidavits in the case through Commissioner of Police Param Bir Singh, and ACP Shashank Sandbhor of the crime branch saying it had not targeted Republic TV or its employees.
The police had said its probe was not a result of any political vendetta.
The same HC bench on Friday adjourned another petition filed by Goswami, seeking to quash the case lodged against him in a 2018 abetment of suicide case.
This plea will also be heard on March 5.
Goswami and two others have been accused of abetting the suicide of an interior designer Anvay Naik.
The trio were arrested in the case and later released on bail.
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Modi the person through which Balakot information went to Arnab: Rahul lashes out at Republic TV chief
By PTI
KARUR: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the “person through which” prior information on India’s air strikes in Balakot in Pakistan in 2019 was made available to Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami.The Congress MP, however, did not provide evidence to back up his claim.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) also did not immediately respond to the unfounded claim.
Addressing a roadshow here during his final day of election campaign in poll-bound Tamil Nadu, he said only five people including the PM and the Defence Minister would have prior information of the planned strikes.
“Some days back it came out that a journalist knew about the air strikes in Balakot. Three days before the (Indian) air force bombed Pakistan, an Indian journalist was told it was going to happen,” he said.
This meant the lives of our IAF pilots were put at ‘risk,’ he said.
“Now, five people in this world knew about Balakot (air strikes). Prime Minister of India, the Defence minister of India, the National Security Adviser and the Chief of the Air Force and the Home minister.”
“Nobody else in the world knew about Balakot before it happened. Now I want to understand why an enquiry has not started on who told this journalist about Balakot before it happened. The reason is that one of these five people told this man. One of these five people betrayed our Air Force,” he charged.
He alleged that “one of these people put the lives of our pilots in danger.”
“If the Prime Minister did not do it then why is he not ordering an enquiry. Think about it. The only reason that the Prime Minister has not ordered an enquiry is because he is the person through which that message has gone to this journalist,” Gandhi claimed.
Else, the PM should investigate and tell which one of these five people did it, Gandhi demanded.
Purported chats between Goswami and former Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) head Partho Dasgupta, which mentioned that the former was privy to the 2019 air strike, by the IAF on the biggest JeM training camp in Balakot had surfaced recently.
The IAF had carried out the strike deep inside Pakistan on February 26, 2019 in the wake of killing of 40 CRPF personnel in Kashmir’s Pulwama district then by Pakistan- based Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Gandhi also hit out at Modi once again over the Sino-India face-off, saying “today the Chinese army is sitting inside Indian territory.”
“The Prime Minister has said he has a 56 inch chest, big chest. Today the Chinese army is sitting inside Indian territory. Thousand km of Indian land has been taken by the Chinese,” he said.
He alleged that Modi cannot say the word China as he “does not have the courage to say” so.
“You look at his speeches for the last 3-4 months, he does not say the word China. When the Chinese entered our territory he lied that nobody has come. After some days the Army and Defence minister said the Chinese army had come into Indian territory,” Gandhi added.
“And the only reason the Chinese have the guts and the courage to come into this country is because Narendra Modi has destroyed the economy and weakened (the country) by dividing it,” he charged.