In a relief for Republic TV and its employees currently being investigated by Mumbai Police in the TRP manipulation case, the Bombay high court on Friday extended their interim protection from coercive action till January 29.
The order came after the state sought time to file a reply to the amendment made to the channel’s petition, impleading the Enforcement Directorate as a party respondent in the case.
A division bench of justices SS Shinde and MS Karnik was hearing petitions filed by ARG Outlier Pvt Ltd, which owns Republic TV and R Bharat news channels, and their editor-in-chief Arab Goswami, questioning the investigation being carried out by Mumbai Police in the case.
Their counsel, senior advocate Harish Salve, submitted that the police action was politically motivated.“Some nonsensical story has been made that we (the channel) have paid to somebody. None of the allegations make an offence even remotely. Assuming some TV channel has paid money to rig TRP, where is the crime of cheating? Has any of the advertisers claimed they have been cheated? It is abuse of power,” Salve argued.
Salve then submitted that his client had filed an application to make ED, which is probing a TRP case in Lucknow, to be made party to the case. Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh for ED submitted that the plea was served and the Central agency has filed a two-page affidavit in reply.
{{/usCountry}}Salve then submitted that his client had filed an application to make ED, which is probing a TRP case in Lucknow, to be made party to the case. Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh for ED submitted that the plea was served and the Central agency has filed a two-page affidavit in reply.
{{/usCountry}}Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Mumbai Police and the state government, refuted allegations by the channel against Mumbai Police and said that cheating had taken place, arrests were made and the police found serious evidence.
After hearing the submissions, the court sought to know from the state government whether they wanted to file a reply to the amended plea which impleaded ED to which the state replied in the affirmative and sought time till Monday. Salve informed the court that the channel would respond to the reply by the state government till Thursday. The court has now posted hearing of the petitions by ARG Outlier, Goswami and also Hansa Research on January 29.
After Republic TV sought directions to the state government and Mumbai Police not to take any coercive action, Sibal assured the court that it would continue its statement of no coercive action till the next hearing which the court accepted.