Published 12:18 IST, October 26th 2020
OUTRAGEOUS: Mumbai Police summons even more Republic journalists in shocking witch-hunt
After over 150 hours of questioning of the members of Republic's management & editorial staff, Mumbai Police has shockingly summoned even more journalists
- India News
- 3 min read
After over 150 hours of questioning of the members of Republic Media Network's management & editorial staff, the Mumbai Police has shockingly summoned even more journalists for questioning. If that was not all, the Mumbai Police has intimated that they will summon the entire newsroom if required. This follows a series of attacks on the company in an unprecedented witch-hunt and brazen strike on press freedom with multiple sessions of unnecessary interrogation sessions and a First Information Report on the entire Republic Editorial staff.
Mumbai Police’s witch-hunt on Republic
The latest summons came after Republic’s Deputy Editor Shawan Sen and Executive Editor Niranjan Narayanaswamy were questioned on Saturday. The duo were questioned again on the story about Mumbai Police officers being unhappy with commissioner Param Bir Singh amid the witch-hunt against Republic. The journalists maintained that they won’t reveal their sources.
Editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami had also lent his solidarity to his staff at the NM Joshi Marg police station where the questioning took place.
"It is quite clear to the people of India that Param Bir Singh has been caught and tapes released show he has put up fake witnesses. It is also a fact that 1000 journalists of the Republic Media Network now face an FIR. I want the people of India to know that the clause used by Param Bir Singh is a 98-year-old clause dating back to 1922 of the British Raj," said Arnab Goswami.
He continued, "It is a clause that has not been used in the Indian Constitution or by the Mumbai Police for 34 years or more, which means it is an Emergency era clause. Param Bir Singh is carrying out police terrorism and trying Emergency tactics in a free country. I do believe that the criminal process and breach of law is something which will be noticed by everyone - the Court, the media and the police themselves. We will fight this battle and win."
Republic top brass have been grilled for over 150 hours in this witch-hunt with Arnab Goswami being questioned for 20 hours, Niranjan Narayanaswamy for 20 hours, Senior Executive Editor Abhishek Kapoor for 7 hours, Republic Media Network CEO Vikas Khanchandanani for 7 hours, Assistant Vice President Ghanshyam Singh for 25 hours, CFO Sundaram for 45 hours and COO Harsh Bhandari for 8 hours.
The filing of Section 91, that sought the most trivial details, from cost of tissue papers to payments of salaries to staff and the filing of an FIR against the entire Republic staff has attracted widespread criticism.
Republic sues Param Bir Singh
Republic also hit back legally by sending a defamation notice to Param Bir Singh for making false allegations, seeking Rs 200 crore in damages. The notice sought withdrawal of his false statements on the network over the TRP scam in the press conference dated October 8 and other media interviews conducted. The notice sought that he desists from making any more defamatory statements against Arnab Goswami and his media network, or be liable to face appropriate civil and criminal proceedings.
Updated 12:18 IST, October 26th 2020
