Bid to suppress journalistic freedom: Rajasthan HC on Congress leader’s case against Arnab Goswami

The Rajasthan High Court has restrained the state police from taking coercive action against Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami in a case pertaining to an allegedly inflammatory broadcast by Republic Bharat, the Hindi arm of Republic TV.

“The continued investigation, despite the apparent lack of evidence, suggests an attempt to suppress journalistic freedom and subject the petitioner to unwarranted legal proceedings,” the court said on Monday.

A first information report against Goswami was registered in May 2022 at Udaipur’s Ambamata police station on a complaint by Congress publicity chief Pawan Khera.

Goswami has been accused of broadcasting an allegedly inflammatory show in April 2022 on Republic Bharat regarding the demolition of a temple in Alwar district’s Rajgarh.

Two temples and some shops were razed in Rajgarh by the civic authorities on April 17 that year, PTI reported. According to NDTV, the demolition drive was carried out to make way for a road.

At the time, Rajgarh was a Bharatiya Janata Party-run municipality while the Congress was in power in the state. Since 2023, the BJP has been in power in the state.

Goswami, along with others, has been charged under sections of the Indian Penal Code relating to the promotion of enmity between religious groups (153A), actions intended to hurt religious sentiments (295A), involvement in a criminal conspiracy (120B), defamation...

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