Bombay HC asks Republic TV, Arnab Goswami not to add ‘embellishments’ while reporting on Anil Ambani

The Bombay High Court on Thursday verbally told Republic TV and its editor Arnab Goswami not to add any “embellishments” while reporting about the financial transactions and the ongoing investigations against businessperson Anil Ambani, Live Law reported.

Justice Arif Doctor did not pass a gag order against the news channel but asked Goswami to tone down the tenor of his reporting against Ambani.

While no one can be stopped from reporting on legal proceedings, it must be confined to facts emerging from court orders and records, the judge said.

Ambani had in March filed a defamation suit against Republic TV and Goswami claiming that the reports on the news channel about his financial transactions caused irreparable damage to his reputation.

His petition sought a temporary injunction against ARG Outlier, the parent company of Republic TV, Goswami and other unknown entities.

At an earlier hearing, the judge had asked Republic TV and Goswami to reduce the rhetoric in his reporting, Bar and Bench reported. The court had also refused to curb the news channel from reporting Ambani, but said that it should not publish “below-the-belt” news.

On Thursday, advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, representing Republic TV, said that the news channel’s reporting fell within the confines of “fair comment”.

If the businessperson provides a list of comments made by Republic TV to which he has objections, they could be reconsidered if the news...

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