Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed Mumbai Police to give Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami an advance notice of three days if they want to arrest him in the TRP manipulation case.
The direction from a two-member division bench came after the Maharashtra government said it will complete the investigation into role of Republic TV in the TRP manipulation case within 12 weeks.
Justices SS Shinde and Manish Pitale were hearing a petition, filed by ARG Outlier Media Pvt Ltd and Goswami in which they sought an FIR and chargesheet filed by Mumbai Police in the TRP case to be quashed.
Senior state counsel Ashok Mundargi told the court that the cases were solely intended to target his clients for adverse reportage against the police and state government.
Mundargi contended that some other channels were named in the TRP case, but employees of only his clients’ channel were interrogated. It’s been four months since investigation started, but police had not got any evidence against Republic TV or Goswami, he argued, and submitted that his clients need protection from coercive action.
Also Read: TRP Scam: Summon Arnab If Name Crops Up As Accused, Says Bombay HC
