Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami has tendered an unconditional apology before the Delhi High Court in a contempt case filed by environmentalist RK Pachauri, Live Law reported on Thursday.
“I hereby tender my apology to this Hon’ble Court and request that this Hon’ble Court may graciously be pleased to accept the apology and close the instant proceedings against the deponent,” Goswami said in the affidavit submitted on April 28.
Pachauri, who died in 2020, had filed a contempt case in 2016 against several media houses for “fragrant and wilful disobedience” of two court orders which had restricted reporting on sexual harassment allegations against him. He had said that the media reports were defamatory and prejudiced against him, according to Newslaundry.
Pachauri, the former director of The Energy and Resources Institute, was accused of sexually harassing a female colleague in 2015.
Besides Goswami, who was the editor-in-chief of Times Now then, the plea was filed against Bennet & Coleman, The Economic Times, Raghav Ohri and Prannoy Roy, according to Live Law.
In his apology, Goswami told the court that he is a law-abiding, respectable citizen of the country and holds the court in high esteem.
“I had no intention to commit any act/ omission amounting to disobedience much less, wilful disobedience of the orders of this court,” he said, reported Live Law. “I say that the alleged broadcasts were done under the bona fide belief that the same was not prohibited in terms of the order passed by this Hon’ble Court…”
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