Republic TV CEO Vikas Khanchandani was arrested on Sunday morning in connection with the ongoing probe into the TRP scam and sent to police custody till December 15. Now reports state that a team of Maharashtra Police is in Delhi. The speculations are high that the Maharashtra Police may arrest Arnab Goswami soon.
However. during the hearing in the TRP Scam case in the Bombay High Court, the Maharashtra State government and the Mumbai Police assured that they will not take coercive action against the persons mentioned in the chargesheet filed in the Television Rating Points (TRP) scam case.
The division bench of Justice S S Shinde and Justice M S Karnik was Tuesday told by Senior Counsel Aabad Ponda that they were apprehensive of Mumbai Police arresting Goswami and other channel employees, and hence sought an interim relief till next hearing in the case.
Senior Advocate Aabad Ponda appearing for ARG and the Editor-in-Chief of Republic TV, Arnab Goswami requested the court to hear him for grant of an urgent relief.
Ponda said, "I am making a solemn statement that the Maharashtra Police has reached Delhi to arrest them. I have received a message at 2.30 pm. It is there on my phone. I am only seeking that they should not arrest me till tomorrow."
Ponda also claimed that the people who were sought to be arrested were not accused in the chargesheet. He pointed out from the chargesheet that republic TV was implicated as "Republic Channel, maalak, chaalak and sambandhit vyakti" (Republic channel, owner, manager and related persons) which could mean anyone.
The Court asked Chief Public Prosecutor Deepak Thakare to consider the request after seeking instructions from the Police to consider not taking coercive actions. "The maalak, chaalak words are so broad it may include anyone, even reporters on field. Why don't you take instructions of no coercive action till tomorrow? No one is stopping you from investigating." Justice Shinde said.
After taking instructions, Thakare then made a statement in court that "no coercive steps will be taken against persons referred to in running page 21 of the chargesheet filed by the Mumbai Police till tomorrow."