‘Arnab Goswami Not an Editor or Journalist’: Plea in SC for Perjury against Republic TV Chief for Allegedly Misleading SC

Case Name: Arnab Ranjan Goswami vs. Union of India (Writ Petition (CRL) No. 130/2020)

An application has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking to initiate perjury proceedings against Arnab Goswami, Editor-in-Chief of Republic TV by Reepak Khansal states that Goswami made misleading statements in the writ petition filed by him in the SC seeking to quash the FIRs registered against him across the country.

The application states that broadcasting employees and TV anchors do not come within the definition of “Editor” as per ‘The Press and Registration Of Books Act 1867’ and also under the ambit of ‘working journalists’ as defined under The Working Journalists And Other Newspaper Employees (Conditions Of service) And Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955. Further the applicant states that Electronic media does not come under the ambit of Press Council of india.

Thus on the aforesaid grounds the applicant argues that Goswami knowingly made a false claim on affidavit before the SC, attracting the offence of perjury under Sections 191,199 and 200 of the Indian Penal Code.

Goswami had approached the SC on April 23 seeking to quash FIRs registered against him in various states , On April 24, the SC granted him three weeks interim protection from arrest, and consolidated all FIRs and transferred them to Mumbai. Goswami was later subjected to 12-hour long questioning by Mumbai police in the case.

By Priyanka of SPPU