Congress' Turkey office: Proceedings against Amit Malviya, Arnab Goswami stayed

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has stayed further proceedings against BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya and Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami in an FIR over allegedly spreading false information about the Congress party having an office in Turkey.

A vacation bench presided over by Justice Rachaiah passed the order after hearing petitions filed by both Malviya and Goswami. The FIR was registered by the High Grounds police on a complaint filed by Shrikant Swaroop BN, legal cell head of the Indian Youth Congress.

The police had booked them under sections 192 and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for provocation and intentional insult.

The complaint stated that the accused fabricated a claim that the Istanbul Congress Centre in Turkey is the office of the Indian National Congress. It further said that both Malviya and Goswami masterminded this campaign to disseminate patently false information. The complainant also alleged that the two exploited national sentiments to defame a political institution.