Republic TV Editor-In-Chief Arnab Goswami's can end up in major trouble for his reporting on Sunanda Pushkar's case and alleging that she was murdered. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor had filed a suit against Arnab Goswami and his channel seeking compensation and damages for making allegedly defamatory remarks during their reportage of Sunanda Pushkar’s death.
A Single Judge Bench of Justice Mukta Gupta was hearing an application by Pushkar's husband, Shashi Tharoor who is the sole accused in the criminal case pertaining to her death in January 2017.
The court was informed that defamatory content was broadcasted by Goswami on multiple occasions in July and August, which claimed that Goswami had investigated the Sunanda Pushkar case better than Delhi Police and that he still had no doubt that Pushkar was murdered.
This claim by Goswami displeased the Delhi High Court and Justice Mukta said, "Were you at the spot? Are you an eye witness? There is sanctity of the investigation."
Responding to it, Arnab's lawyer Malvika Trivedi informed the court that there was evidence from AIIMS, based on which certain broadcast was aired.
On that, the court replied, "This is not evidence. They are statements from here and there. A court has to take a point of view on what is evidence. You are nobody in the field to get evidence or get access to evidence... understand what is evidence in criminal law."
Finally, the Delhi High Court had directed Arnab Goswami to "be bound by" his undertaking on "showing restraint and bringing down the rhetoric" while covering the Sunanda Pushkar case.
The Delhi High Court yet again assembled on Friday and Arnab was suppose to file the reply in the defamation case filed by the Congress leader. However, the Court noted that Goswami has not filed the reply to Tharoor's application. Senior Adv Sandeep Sethi appearing for Arnab said, "We filed it last night, we're sorry for the delay."
Senior Adv Kapil Sibal for Tharoor said, "On 6 Oct, Goswami did another programme doing things that he was asked not to do."
On this, Sethi said, "Goswami has done a programme strictly in terms of the court's order."
The Court then sent the copy of Goswami's reply Shashi Tharoor and adjourned the hearing till next hearing on December 21.