The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed television journalist Arnab Goswami and the Republic TV’s petition that sought to quash a court’s order to register a First Information Report against them, Live Law reported. The January 21 magisterial court’s order was based on a complaint filed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in connection with his wife Sunanda Pushkar’s death.
Justice Najmi Waziri said the High Court was not the right platform to challenge the order. Waziri suggested that the petitioners approach a sessions court to challenge the magistrate’s order.
According to Tharoor’s complaint, Goswami allegedly accessed confidential documents that were part of the investigation report and the internal notes from police records in connection with the death of Sunanda Pushakar. Tharoor claimed that it is impermissible to share probe details with the public or the media during an ongoing investigation.
Pushkar was found dead in a New Delhi hotel in January 2014. The police have charged Tharoor with abetting suicide. Tharoor had claimed the charges against him were “preposterous and baseless” and a product of a “malicious and vindictive campaign”.
Tharoor’s complaint had also claimed that Goswami’s news channel deliberately made defamatory remarks against him “in an attempt to increase the viewership”. The channel allegedly accessed Tharoor’s emails without his consent. Tharoor already has two cases against Goswami – a criminal defamation suit and a civil defamation suit.
On February 11, Goswami had said he was proud to have had a part in the investigative journalism that he said has put the Sunanda Pushkar murder case “under scrutiny”.
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