Arnab Goswami Booked For Hurting Sentiments

MUMBAI: Mumbai police registered an FIR against Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami and two others from the news channel on the charge of hurting religious sentiments for making a derogatory remark regarding a place of worship located in suburban Bandra.

Hundreds of migrant workers had gathered in Bandra on April 14 demanding transport arrangements to go back to their native places, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced extension of the coronavirus-enforced lockdown till May 3.

A police official on Sunday quoting the FIR said that Goswami in his show aired on April 29 displayed picture of the place of worship and questioned gathering of a large number of people outside it on April 14.

The FIR was lodged in Pydhonie police station in south Mumbai on Saturday by Irfan Abubakar Sheikh, secretary, Raza Education Welfare Society.

"Arnab tried to target a particular community through his show which was aired on April 29 while the incident had taken place on April 14," Sheikh was quoted saying to a news agency.

In the FIR, Sheikh stated that the place of worship concerned did not have any connection whatsoever with the crowd that had assembled outside it on April 14.

Goswami has been booked under sections 153 (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) 153-A (Promoting enmity between two groups) 295-A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings), 500 (Punishment for defamation), 511 (Punishment for attempting to commit offences) 120-b (Planning) and other sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Mumbai police had questioned Goswami on April 27 in a case against him for allegedly making defamatory statements against Congress president Sonia Gandhi in his debate shows regarding the Palghar mob lynching incident.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had granted him three-week protection from any coercive action on FIRs against him for alleged defamatory statements against Sonia Gandhi.

Also Read | Arnab Goswami Case: SC Grants 3-Week Protection Against Any ‘Coercive Steps’