IPS Singh withdraws defamation suit against Arnab Goswami

Mumbai: A civil court has imposed a cost of Rs1,500 on former Commissioner of Police Param Bir Singh after he withdrew his defamation suit filed against news anchor and Republic TV’s Managing Director Arnab Goswami for remarks made against him in connection with the TRP rigging case. Additional Sessions Judge VD Kedar pronounced the order.

After a plea was made by Mr Singh’s lawyer to withdraw the suit, the court said that due to filing of the suit, the defendants have to engage an advocate so it feels that cost needs to be imposed for withdrawing the suit unconditionally.

Mr Goswami's lawyer Pradeep Ghandy sought that a cost be imposed on Mr Singh for putting the defendants through the litigation. He said it should not be misconstrued that the matter was settled out of court. The court was then informed that they have no objection with the withdrawal.

Filed last year, the suit was against the ARG Outlier Media Pvt Ltd which owns Republic TV and Hindi channel Republic Bharat. It alleged that defamatory statements were made against Mr Singh in two separate debates hosted by both the channels.

In his plea, Mr Singh had underlined that he was an IPS officer of a distinguished career record of 32 years while adding that Mr Goswami had made false charges of victimisation and intimidation against him. He had sought a compensation of Rs90 lakh, asserting that he suffered personal injury, loss and harm due to defamation.

Besides a written apology from the news anchor, Mr Singh had also sought an order to stop them (Republic group) from repeating the conduct.

Arnab's lawyer said…

Cost be imposed to specify that matter not settled out of court

Singh had sought…

Rs90 lakh in compensation and a written apology from Goswami