'Reckless Registration of an FIR Against Republic TV': What Karnataka HC Said While Quashing Case Against Arnab

New Delhi: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday quashed the criminal case filed against Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami by the Bengaluru police, calling it an "abuse of process of law."  The case was registered last year over allegations that Republic TV aired a fake news report about Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. However, the court found no basis for the charges.  

“Court wants to know what is the offence? Absolutely nothing,” the judge remarked before formally quashing the case

'Reckless Registration of Crime'

While quashing the FIR against Arnab Goswami, Justice M Nagaprasanna stated, "Petition allowed and quashed." Before delivering the order, the court made a strong oral observation, questioning the basis of the case: "Court wants to know what's the offence against Arnab Goswami, absolutely nothing, abuse on its face."  

While granting an interim stay on the case, the court strongly criticized the FIR, stating, "It is ununderstandable as to how the section is applicable to its remotest sense in the case at hand. Therefore it is a reckless registration of crime by respondent no 2. If such crime are permitted to continue it will amount to abuse of process of law." 

Republic Media Network’s Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami has strongly reacted to the Karnataka High Court’s decision to quash the FIR against him, calling it an important ruling against frivolous cases filed by state governments to target journalists.

Speaking on the court’s judgment, Goswami said, "This case has incredible impact in terms of frivolous proceedings by various state governments against journalists and media… when I was arrested and when Justice Chandrachud said that there has been a weaponisation of the process of law… and what the honourable Judge has said today is absolutely similar."

Drawing parallels between cases filed against him in Maharashtra and Karnataka, Arnab highlighted what he described as a pattern of vendetta against media professionals.

"So while you know the cases that they have filed — both the ones — obviously have no basis, the Maharashtra government case and Karnataka government case — there is an element of vendetta that the Editor-in-Chief or the promoter of a news channel or network is the first person to be called in for investigation for any frivolous case and this is an attempted blackmail," he stated.

Arnab further emphasized the personal and professional toll such legal actions impose. "So while there may be no case, we are openly told by people who manufacture these proceedings that these are attempts to harass and these harassments come at a cost because the individual has to travel, he has to appear, all such things take a toll on their professional responsibilities," he added.