The Supreme Court on Friday issued a contempt notice to Maharashtra Assembly secretary over a letter to Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami.
The court also provided protection to Goswami in the case related to the breach of privilege notice by Maharashtra Assembly.
"We have a serious question on the author of this letter and we find it extremely difficult to overlook this," Chief Justice of India SA Bobde said.
The case relates to a show cause notice to Goswami for making certain remarks against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackrey in his news debates on Sushant Singh Rajput’s case.
Rajput, 34, was found hanging from the ceiling of his apartment in suburban Bandra in Mumbai on June 14. The CBI is probing the case.
According to a Bar & Benhc report, the letter was written by Assemby Secretary to Goswami on October 13 in which the journalist was allegedly berated for producing before the Supreme Court, the minutes of proceedings sent to him by the Speaker and Privileges Committee of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in relation to a breach of privilege motion.
Bobde said that such attempts to prevent citizens from exercising their rights under Article 32 would amount to serious interference with the administration of justice.
"This amounts to a direct interference in the administration of justice. The intention of the author of the letter seems to be to intimidate the petitioner (#ArnabGoswami) because he approached this court and to threaten him with a penalty for doing so. The respondent no. 2 would have been well advised to understand that the right to approach this court under Article 32 of the Constitution of India is itself a fundamental right," Justice Bobde said.
Arnab Goswami is already under arrestfor allegedly abetting the suicide of a 53-year-old interior designer in 2018. Goswami was sent to 14-day judicial custody by an Alibaug coyrt after his arrest on Wednesday.
