Palghar Lynching: Maharashtra govt moves Supreme Court alleging browbeating by Arnab Goswami

The Maharashtra government has approached the Supreme Court to take a "serious cognisance" of endeavour made by Republic TV's Editor in Chief Arnab Goswami to interfere with the investigation and browbeat police officers.

Goswami had faced over 100 FIRs across the country after he on April 21 questioned Congress president Sonia Gandhi's silence in lynching of two Hindu seers and their driver in Palghar on April 16.

In an application, the state government asked the court to "insulate the investigating agency from any pressure, threat or coercion" from Goswami and to enable it to carry out its lawful obligation in a fair and transparent manner.

It claimed the tweets and debate by his TV showed that he was not cooperating with the investigation and on the contrary interfering with it. "By making personal allegations against the Mumbai Police commissioner, the petitioner is trying to intimidate the policy by implying that he will spare nobody and will launch an investigation against the police officers," it alleged.

The state government asked the court to restrain Goswami from "abusing" interim protection of three weeks granted to him on April 24.

The top court had then stayed probe into all FIR except one lodged in Nagpur. It also directed transfer of that FIR to Mumbai, where Arnab himself filed a complaint after attack on him and his wife.

In its application, the state government pointed out several tweets put out by the Republic TV to create an impression that the police were biased against him. There was an attempt to show the Mumbai police commissioner in a very bad light.

"It is necessary that this court may issue appropriate directions so that a balance is maintained between rights of the petitioner as a citizens and a senior journalist vis-a-vis the investigating agency to conduct investigation into the crime," it said.

The state government further claimed that Goswami had attempted to create a false impression in general public that Mumbai police commissioner was hindering the investigation in "unfortunate and ghastly" Palghar incident.