Supreme Court lashes out at Republic TV in TRP scam, refuses to hear plea

NIRMAL YESODA

It was around a few days back that the Mumbai Police named Arnab Goswami’s Republic TV among two other television channels for allegedly manipulating TRP ratings and using it to spread fake narratives, thus using it to generate revenues from advertisements. As the Mumbai Police started a probe against the television channel, Republic TV challenged the decision of the police at the Supreme Court.

However, on Thursday, the Supreme Court refused to admit Republic TV’s petition and made it clear that the channel should initially approach the High Court.

“You have already filed a petition in the High Court. Entertaining this petition without high court sends a message that we don’t have faith in high courts. Like any other citizens faces predicament of probe under Cr.P.C (Criminal Procedure Code) must go to the High Court,” said the top court after refusing to hear the plea of Republic TV.

The top court’s bench comprised of Justice D Y Chandrachud, Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee observed that the High Court has been working regularly, amid the coronavirus outbreak, and the channel should approach the High Court in the state like ‘any other ordinary citizen’ before moving the plea to the supreme court.

Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for the media house revealed that the petition has been withdrawn to move High Court.

In the meantime, in an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court claimed that Republic TV is abusing law of the land, and is intimidating witnesses.

“Arnab Goswami (Republic TV’s editor-in-chief) is holding programs where this case is debated at length and contacting witnesses and interfering and intimidating the witnesses. Freedom of speech right cannot be invoked into an alleged crime. Right under Article 19(1) freedom of speech cannot be a shield against probe,” Mumbai Police said in the affidavit.