Breaking : Bombay HC stays Mumbai police FIRs against Arnab Goswami observing that no prima facie case was made out against him. The Court orders that no coercive action should be taken against him.

#ArnabGoswami
@republic
No coercive steps to be taken against him, says the bench of Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice RI Chagla.

FIRs were registered alleging communalization of Palghar lynching and Bandra migrants gathering.

via @nitishkashyap89
Interim Order in #ArnabGoswami case

(1) This petition is admitted for hearing; (2) Since all the parties are represented, issuance of notice stands obviated. However, office of the Attorney General of India be notified as regards challenge to vires of sections 153A and 153B(1)
(3) All further proceedings in FIR No.164 of 2020 before the N. M. Joshi Marg Police Station, Mumbai and FIR No.137 of 2020 before the Pydhonie Police Station, Mumbai shall remain suspended; and

#ArnabGoswami
(4) Interim order passed on 09.06.2020 to the effect that no coercive steps shall be taken against the petitioner vis-a-vis the above two FIRs shall continue till disposal of this petition.
We cannot have the spectacle of a Damocles' sword hanging over the head of a journalist while conducting a public debate. India is now a mature democracy: Bombay HC

#ArnabGoswami
Seventy years into our republic we cannot be seen to be skating on thin ice so much so that mere mention of a place of worship will lead to animosity or hatred amongst religious communities causing upheaval and conflagration on the streets: Bombay HC

#ArnabGoswami
Subscribing to such a view would stifle all legitimate discussions and debates in the public domain: Bombay HC

#ArnabGoswami
On an overall reading of the FIR, statement of the informant and transcript of the broadcast,it would b wrong to say that petitioner had made the statements in the broadcast with a view to defame or insult the feelings of any religious group or community: Bombay HC
#ArnabGoswami
The tenor of the programme was petitioner trying to find out as to who were the people or which were the forces trying to derail or defeat the lockdown and encouraging violation of social distancing norms: Bombay HC

#ArnabGoswami
In such circumstances, to allege or impute any communal motive to what the petitioner had commented would be a distortion of the narrative. Prima facie, no offence as alleged can be said to have been committed by the petitioner: Bombay HC

#ArnabGoswami
It is quite clear that the object of or the target of the petitioner's attack was primarily Smt. #SoniaGandhi and the @INCIndia . There was no mentioning of either the Muslim community or the Christian community.
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