Times Now has filed a criminal case against its former employee and the founder of Republic TV, Arnab Goswami, for theft.
Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd (BCCL), according to Economic Times, has also lodged a complaint against another former employee, Prema Sridevi, for infringing its copyright.
The complaint was filed with the Azad Maidan Police Station in Mumbai under sections 378, with sections 379, 403, 405, with sections 406, 409, 411, 414 and 418 of the Indian Penal Code, besides Section 66-B, 72 and 72-A of the IT Act, 2000.
Among the offences include theft, criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of property and infringement of IPR of BCCL by using the same on Republic TV on multiple occasions on May 6 and May 8, 2017.
Goswami did not respond to our calls and message. However, a Republic employee tweeted what he said was Goswami reaction.
According to the tweet (below), Goswami astonishingly termed the criminal case for ‘theft’ as ‘Goliath is down to his knees, crying.’
The ‘response’ said, “Interesting to see them get so nervous. I think they instinctively know they have lost their audience. It’s amusing to see them get paranoid…They can’t handle the fact that despite all their money they have lost the news battle to a group of new age journalists.”
Arnab Goswami on the Criminal Complaint: 'Interesting to see them so nervous..Goliath is down to knees, crying..they have lost the battle.' pic.twitter.com/vcP3MDSdXP
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) May 17, 2017
Goswami had worked in Times Now as the channel’s editor-in-chief before being reportedly sacked by his employer.
Sources in Times Now said that the management was unhappy over the way Sridevi had behaved towards the end of her association the channel.
“Sridevi had assured the CEO MK Anand that she will not quit the channel to join the rival Republic, but she reneged on her words and followed Arnab,” said a source.
Republic TV was launched on 6 May and on the first day of its launch, Goswami had broadcast what he called was an expose on nexus between Lalu Yadav and former RJD MP, Shahabuddin.
He had also played audio tapes of a conversation between the two alleging that while the latter was in prison, he was in touch with Lalu.
The channel also broadcast an audio conversation between Sridevi and late Sunanda Pushkar.
Both these materials were allegedly produced and accessed while both Goswami and Sridevi worked for Times Now.
Goswami had gone on to say on record that his former employer had not allowed to broadcast these stories.
This has come after the News Broadcasters Association had accused Republic TV of malpractices to boost viewership.
Last week, Goswami had courted controversy after called a Congress spokesperson a ‘worm’ and the ‘lapdog’ of the Gandhi family.