The Mumbai Police, on Wednesday, told the Bombay High Court that it has enough evidence against Republic TV and its Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami in the fake TRP scam case. The city police, accordingly opposed granting further protection to Arnab in the case.
A bench of Justices Sambhaji Shinde and Makarand Karnik, however, adjourned the matter till January 15, thus continuing the protection orders passed earlier till the said date.
On Wednesday, when the matter came up for hearing, advocate Nirajan Mundargi appearing for Arnab informed the judges that the senior advocate to argue in the case couldn't turn up for hearing due to some personal reasons.
At this, senior counsel Kapil Sibal for the state conveyed his objection to the protection orders.
"Though we understand that the counsel could not appear, we would like the court to note our objections. We have found evidence on record through investigation with Broadcasting Audience Research Council (BARC) against Republic TV and Arnab. Please record my statement that I (Mumbai Police) do not wish to continue my statement of not taking coercive action against the accused," Sibal submitted.
The bench, however, adjourned the matter for further hearing till January 15, when the city police would file their status report.
Notably, Sibal had last December made a statement that no coercive action would be taken against Arnab and also the office bearers of ARG Outlier Media that runs the Republic channels.
Now, with this adjournment, the protection continues till January 15.
