Key Points :
- The Supreme Court has now asked Republic TV and its editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami to approach the Bombay High Court with his petition in the TRP scam case.
- In its affidavit, Mumbai Police has said that they seek repudiation of the petition with a heavy penalty imposed on the petitioners.
- Mumbai police in the name of freedom of expression, anyone cannot ask for exemption from any criminal investigation. They also argued that an accused person cannot decide or determine the approach of the investigation.
The tables are turned apparently as the news channels who had been covering the death of SSR since the past three months are now facing scrutiny by the Bollywood bunch and the Mumbai police. Many reporters of these news channels have been facing allegations for maligning and smearing the names of prominent personalities and the Mumbai police along with the Mumbai government. Many production houses of the Bollywood fraternity have filed cases against these channels for associating their names into false stories without any solid evident. Now what comes as a blow is the Mumbai polices’ claim that some channels have been caught in an alleged TRP scam. One name which is rising in the TRP scam case is that of Arnab Goswami, editor-in-chief at Republic Bharat.
Supreme Court has now asked Republic TV and its editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami to approach the Bombay High Court with his petition in the TRP scam case as it is the office to which the case is concerned with.Mumbai Police has opposed Republic TV and Arnab Goswami’s petition in Supreme Court over the summons issued to the channel’s officials in contact with the TRP scam investigation. In its affidavit, Mumbai Police has said that they seek repudiation of the petition with a heavy penalty imposed on the petitioners.Mumbai police have claimed that other channels are giving their cooperation in the police investigation, but Republic TV has been creating hurdles in the process. Mumbai Police has also said that the probe in the TRP case is still in its initial phase and cannot be handed over to CBI. They added that in the name of freedom of expression, anyone cannot ask for exemption from any criminal investigation. Mumbai Police has also argued that an accused person cannot decide or determine the approach of the investigation.In a press conference, Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh had alleged that three media outfits had rigged barometers set up by BARC in order to elicit higher TRPs for themselves.Mumbai Police has summoned three office bearers of Republic TV Network in connection with the alleged TRP scam. Meanwhile, Supreme Court on Monday observed that it can take journalist Arnab Goswami’s plea challenging the showcase notice issued by Maharashtra assembly only after any action is taken.
Maharashtra Legislature secretariat has now issued a notice to Republic TV’s Editor in Chief Arnab Goswami for violation of privilege for submitting a copy of the proceedings of the assembly in Supreme Court without the Speaker’s permission.The notice was served on October 13 and a written clarification has been asked from Arnab Goswami by October 15, the secretariat said in a statement on Wednesday.
