Criminal action against Arnab Goswami: Ex-colleague says she ‘won’t shed a tear for him’

0

A day after Janta Ka Reporter reported how the Delhi’s Patiala House Court had directed the Delhi Police to file an FIR against Republic TV founder Arnab Goswami, one of his former colleagues has said that she wouldn’t ‘shed a tear’ for him.
Arnab Goswami

Senior journalist Barkha Dutt, who worked with Goswami in NDTV, tweeted, “This man has routinely tarnished journalists and even called for their trial and arrest. I wont shed a tear for him facing criminal action for his dangerous, communal and vile reportage.”

Dutt was referring to Goswami calling for gagging of journalists during a show that he hosted on Times Now in 2016.

Another journalist, Jyoti Malhotra, tweeted, “If anyone has singlehandedly destroyed journalism its this man (sic).” Journalist Vidya Krishnan wrote, “I’d not say this about any journalist, anywhere. Except for this man… the ass wart of Indian journalism. He deserves to be locked up.”

Goswami, however, found some support from expected individuals on social media. The notable among them was Pradeep Bhandari, who frequently appears on Republic TV as a panelist. Bhandari wrote, “I stand with #ArnabGoswami in his fight for truth in #SunandaPushkar murder case. Knowing him , he is a man of steel he will not be scared by a #FIR, rather he will be embolden to chase the truth. Go strong #Arnab you have the power of people of India.”

The Patiala House Court, in its judgement on 21 January, had directed the Delhi Police to initiate a probe and file an FIR against Goswami, who founded Republic TV with the help of BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrsekhar in 2017.

The court order, according to Bar and Bench website, had stated, “This court is of the considered view that in view of allegations leveled by complainant and material produced on record in the form of RTI replies and other material, matter disclosed commission of cognizable offence. In these circumstances, SHO concerned is directed to register FIR in this matter and investigate the same as per law.”

One of the charges against Goswami is that he allegedly hacked into Shashi Tharoor’s personal email, stealing documents.

Separately, Tharoor had also filed a defamation case claiming damages and compensation worth Rs 2 crore against Goswami and his channel in May last year. The Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram had also sought a direction from the High Court to restrain the TV channel from broadcasting any show relating to the death of his wife, Sunanda Pushkar, till the investigation is completed by the Delhi police.

A Republic TV journalist, who claimed that he was assigned to harass Tharoor, had later resigned from the channel. Another Republic TV journalist had resigned complaining fear, intimidation and harassment by her bosses at the channel. Shweta Kothari, who was a senior correspondent with the channel founded by Arnab Goswami, said that she faced constant harassment on suspicion that she was a plant by the Congress MP, Shashi Tharoor.

Previous articleRailway Minister Piyush Goyal faces condemnation for posting doctored video on ‘India’s first semi high speed train’
Next articleBJP demands Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation after extraordinary press release by Chief Electoral Officer, Delhi CM attacks EC