SC bench comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and M R Shah to consider shortly the writ petition filed by Republic TV Editor-in-Chief, #ArnabGoswami, seeking to quash the FIRs registered against him in various states over his news debate on #PalgharMobLynching case.

@republic

Senior Adv. Mukul Rohatgi & Siddhartha Bhatnagar appearing for #ArnabGoswami.
8 lawyers on screen including Senior Advs @VTankha for Chhattisgarh, @KapilSibal for Maharashtra & @DrAMSinghvi for Rajasthan, on VC hearing.

Justice Chandrachud: "Why so many lawyers?"

#Arnab

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi begins:

"There is a place called #Palghar in Maharashtra, where persons were lynched in the presence of 12 police personnel...my client ( #ArnavGoswami) bought out this incident on his daily show for 45 Minutes...."

#PalgharMobLynching

"My client brought out this incident which is recorded in a video on his show. He deals with questions of public interest and police. Without anybody inviting religious issues, how were these sadhus lynched?" Rohatgi
#ArnabGoswami
#ArnabGoswamiAttacked
#Palghar

Rohatgi for #arnabgoswami continues: "In #palghar issue debate on his show, he raised some "provocative questions" to the #Congress chief by saying when people from minority are killed, Congress party is the first to raise issues"
@INCIndia
#palghar
#ArnabAttacked

"FIRs have been registered against client, #ArnabGoswami, in Maharashtra, Nagpur , Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Punjab, TelaNgana and JK. All complaints and FIRs are principally based on the defamation of #Congress Chief ( #SoniaGandhi)"
Argues Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi
@INCIndia

Rohatgi now quotes tweets by various #congress leaders,
"Now they are all tweeting as if they are themselves filing a case of defamation. Defamation can only be filed by the person aggrieved. These complaints are nearly identical" he adds.
#SoniaGandhi #ArnabGoswami

"When you have a public debate, there are bound to be have provocative questions!
If sadhus have been killed and there is a turmoil in hindu community, then why are you not raising any questions? This is the primary nature of the dispute", says Rohatgi
#ArnabGoswami
#Palghar

"Your lordships have always protected. Idea is to muzzle the press, Involve channel & editor in these kinds of frivolous complaints. All these offences are bailable. They were registered one after the other across the country against my client!" Rohatgi
#ArnabGoswami
@republic

"I have impleaded the States. I can implead the complaints also. Could not do, so since I had to file in one day because of the murderous attack on my client and his wife."

Rohatgi for #ArnabGoswami

#ArnabAttacked

"I have been asked to appear in Chhattisgarh, received the notice today morning. I am submitting my client must be protected in connection with these FIRs & also in connection with any other case that may be filed wrt the show" Rohatgi
#ArnabGoswami
#ArnabGoswamiAttacked

No defamation can be alleged by anybody else, this has been settled in Subramanian Swamy case, says Rohatgi.

We are grateful court took the matter today otherwise we donot know what would have happened with his life and liberty over the weekend. Rohatgi ends for #ArnabGoswami

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal starts arguing for State of Maharashtra.
Sibal begins: "The link in that statement at 10.51 pm on his show is this -
'The country is having 80 percent sanatani's....' Sibal reads out in hindi. "Is this Freedom of Speech?"

@KapilSibal
#ArnabGoswami

How can an Article 32 petition lie on "fake freedom of speech", says Sibal.
"You are trying to ignite communal violence here by putting Hindus against minority", Sibal argues
"You are creating communal violence by citing many such statements" @KapilSibal
#ArnabGoswami

"If FIR is registered, then how can they be quashed at this stage? Clearly offences are made out! I can understand cases being clubbed, but how can the plea made can be under Article 32, says Senior Advocate @KapilSibal
#ArnabGoswami

"Here you are not allowing us to investigate, while in @kanhaiyakumar's case it was investigated. You are fuelling #communal violence. Somebody has filed a complaint. Police will investigate to find out if one can be prosecuted" contends Sr. Adv. @KapilSibal
#ArnabGoswami

"Why not FIRs being filed against a person, is #ArnabGoswami is a special privileged person?" Sibal.

"If Congress people have filed firs then what's the problem. Don't BJP people file FIRs?" he adds.

@KapilSibal
@INCIndia
@BJP4Delhi

Justice Chandrachud: Multiple firs have been filed. Same cause of action. There is ground for invocation under 32?

@KapilSibal: It can be for clubbing and not to grant protection. Let police investigate and come to conclusions. What is happening in this country?
#ArnabGoswami

Senior Advocate Manish Singhvi, he is being led by Sr. Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi who is not present on the VC hearing currently. Singhvi is for Rajasthan starts. Starts arguing-
"153A and 153B offences are non-bailable. A prima facie case is there"
#ArnabGoswami

"There is no denial of the statement which was made. The context in which the #communal statement by #ArnabGoswami was made is clearly covered under 153A of IPC. It's a prima facie case of investigation under the two sections" contends Singhvi

"FIR can be registered against any person anywhere. Consolidation of cases can happen but investigation cannot be stopped." Singhvi.

Senior Advocate Vivek Tankha for state of Chattisgarh begins. "This is a case of misuse of the broadcasting license"
@VTankha
#ArnabGoswami

"The gentleman who has come before court is promoting communal disharmony. Vitiated the atmosphere at the time of #lockdown. Instigating enmity. Today you cannot imagine the outrage this has caused and the man is seeking protection of this court after inciting people!"
Tankha

"Don't give any protection to such kind of people. They have broadcasting license and can they say whatever they can. It's people like #arnabgoswami who should be stopped from saying things to protect the integrity of the country."
@VTankha

"If they be given protection, they then can give more such kind of statement" adds Sr. Adv. Vivek Tankha.

Senior Advocate begins his rebuttal for #ArnabGoswami.
@VTankha

Justice Chandrachud asks Rohatgi why did he not include a prayer to club cases.

Rohatgi : On his argument that millions of people have gotten affected.... only #Congress workers have filed cases!

#ArnabGoswami
@INCIndia

On #arnabgoswami's statement being religious in nature, Rohatgi responds in negative. He said #goswami only spoke of sadhus lynching in the presence of policemen. Goswami had questioned the silence of #congress and had said he will take it as their complicity to the murder.

"Why this kind of brutal incidents happened despite the police presence? he only wanted to show this in his show" argues Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi for #ArnabGoswami
"This court has risen to many occasions and protection" he adds.
#Palghar

"My client is not a political person, why has Sibal talked about @RahulGandhi ? Sadhus are being killed. Goswami never spoke of Hindus or muslims" Rohatgi says, denying the allegation that there was incitement on communal lines.
#ArnabGoswami

Justice Chandrachud: Court intends to protect the petitioner for a period of two weeks form today and permit him to move anticipatory bail application before the trial court or high court.

#ArnavGoswami
#ArnabGoswamiAttacked
#Palghar

Second thing which we will do is that we will stay further proceedings in all fIRs except one. Cause of action appears to be in one state. So we will stay the FIR pending the amendment of the petition : Justice Chandrachud
#ArnabGoswami
#ArnabGoswamiATTACKED

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal: "The court must clarify that its order will have no bearing on the merits of the application."

Court says #ARNABGOSWAMI cannot be subject to proceedings in different parts of the country.
@KapilSibal

Senior Adv. Mukul Rohatgi is consulting #arnabgoswami right now. Sr. Adv Vivek Tankha asks for a restraint order on #arnabgoswami from making such statements.
Chandrachud J. - There should be no restraint on the media. I am averse to imposing any restrictions on media.
@VTankha

Sr. Adv. Rohatgi is back after taking instructions. "Let Nagpur FIR be transferred to Bombay. Let this FIR be investigated with my Clients FIR related to the murderous attack on me" he adds.
#ArnabGoswamiAttacked
#ArnabAttacked

Sr. Adv. Mukul Rohatgi : "We have also asked for protection for our office. Let the state or centre look into it."

@republic
#ArnabGoswami
#ArnabGoswamiAttacked

Bench hearing #ArnabGoswami's plea for quashing of FIRs against him in various states:
"We have heard all lawyers for States including @KapilSibal and Vivek Tankha, Senior Advs @VTankha. At this stage, we issue notice."

Bench -
"Multiple FIRs have been registered against the petitioner, by April 21, in the states of the criminal complaint states of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana. The petitioner has sought protection"

#ArnabGoswamiAttacked

"The Apex Court has recorded submissions of the alleged attack on the petitioner by the counsel."
Bench hearing #Arnab Goswami's Plea seeking "quashing of FIRs & praying no coercive action" states.

Protection two weeks granted to #ArnabGoswamiAttacked.

#ArnabGoswamiAttacked

Bench:
"For a period of two weeks, the petitioner shall be protected against any coercive steps in relation to the FIRs arising out of the telecast which took place on April 21."
#Arnab
#Arnabgoswami
#RepublicTV

SC Bench of Justices DY Chandrachud & MR Shah -
"The Commissioner of Police, Mumbai will give protection to @Republic TV office and #ArnabGoswami

"Petitioner must cooperate with the investigating agency" - Bench

SC Bench:
"Save and except for FIR registered at Nagpur, (FIR number 238 of 2020 dated April 22, 2020 registered at Nagpur, further proceedings arising out of and relating to FIRs and complaints listed out petition shall remain stayed until further orders."
#ArnabGoswami

Bench further orders that if there is any other FIRs filed thereafter, (arising out of or related to present cause of action) against #arnabgoswami shall also remain stayed till further orders.
#arna
#ArnabAttacked
@republic