‘No prima facie case’: Bombay HC stays FIRs against Arnab Goswami over Palghar lynching, Bandra migrants coverage

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday stayed the pair of FIRs filed against Republic TV editor Arnab Goswami for communalising the Palghar lynching and the gathering of migrant workers at Mumbai’s Bandra bus depot in April.

“Prima facie no case was made out against him,” the court said, and ordered the Maharashtra government not to take coercive action against the anchor.

Goswami’s lawyers, Harish Salve and Milind Sathe, had argued that the FIRs were politically motivated and intended to muzzle voices critical of the state government, according to Live Law.

Kapil Sibal, appearing for Maharashtra, countered that the freedom of the press enriched in India’s constitution didn’t include “the right to indulge in communal propaganda”, Live Law reported.

Goswami had earlier obtained interim protection from arrest from the Supreme Court. While the top court had refused to quash the FIRs and declined Goswami’s plea to transfer the investigation to the CBI, it had allowed him to approach the Bombay high court for quashing the complaints.

If you are wondering what exactly Goswami had said about the Bandra migrants, watch this episode of TV Newsance.

And here’s how he covered the Palghar lyinching.

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