The Rajasthan High Court has restrained the Rajasthan police from taking any coercive action against Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami over a 2022 case linked to Republic Bharat’s coverage of the demolition of a Hindu temple in Alwar, Bar and Bench reported.
Hearing Goswami’s petition challenging the case, Justice Farnjand Ali passed an interim order on March 3, saying the allegations in the FIR, “even if taken at face value, do not disclose the commission of an offence under Section 153A of the IPC”. “The FIR lacks essential particulars such as the exact nature of statements, transcripts, or evidence demonstrating the petitioner’s culpability.”
Several channels, including Republic Bharat, had claimed that a temple was razed down in Alwar as revenge for a demolition drive in Jahangirpuri. An FIR was filed on a complaint by Congress leader Pawan Khera.
The judge said the continued investigation, “despite the apparent lack of evidence, suggests an attempt to suppress journalistic freedom and subject the petitioner to unwarranted legal proceedings”, according to Bar and Bench.
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