Supreme Court summons Maharashtra assembly secretary for ‘intimidating’ Arnab Goswami

The Supreme Court Friday issued a contempt notice to the Maharashtra assembly secretary for allegedly intimidating Republic TV editor Arnab Goswami.

A bench headed by chief justice SA Bobde directed the secretary to personally explain why action shouldn’t be initiated against him for sending a letter to Goswami allegedly berating him for approaching the apex court against a privilege motion sent to him by the assembly. The letter amounted to a threat to keep Goswami from moving the Supreme Court, the bench said.

The court also ordered that Goswami should not be arrested in connection with the privilege notice, Live Law reported.

Goswami had approached the court against the September 16 privilege motion sent to him by the Maharashtra assembly for his criticism of the Maharashtra government’s “inaction” in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case. The 60-page notice asked the journalist to personally appear before the House and explain why breach of privilege proceedings should not be launched against him.

Gowami is currently in judicial custody after being arrested in an abetment to suicide case from 2018.

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