The Supreme Court on Friday provided three weeks of protection from arrest to pro-BJP TV anchor Arnab Goswami in multiple cases filed against him for allegedly inciting communal tension in the country. A two-judge bench comprising Justice DY Chandrachud and MR Shah also directed Goswami to cooperate with the investigation.
The top court said that Goswami must approach the lower court or the high court for anticipatory bail.
“Court intends to protect the petitioner for a period of Three weeks form today and permit him to move anticipatory bail application before the trial court or high court. For a period of two weeks, the petitioner shall be protected against any coercive steps in relation to the FIRs arising out of the telecast which took place on April 21,” Livelaw website quoted the bench as saying.
The bench also held that ‘save and except for FIR registered at Nagpur, (FIR number 238 of 2020 dated April 22, 2020 registered at Nagpur, further proceedings arising out of and relating to FIRs and complaints listed out petition shall remain stayed until further orders.’
SC Bench:
“Save and except for FIR registered at Nagpur, (FIR number 238 of 2020 dated April 22, 2020 registered at Nagpur, further proceedings arising out of and relating to FIRs and complaints listed out petition shall remain stayed until further orders.”#ArnabGoswami— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) April 24, 2020
Several police complaints were filed against the controversial Republic TV anchor after he was accused of inciting communal tension during a TV show on the lynching of two Hindu monks in Maharashtra’s Palghar.
