News Release: Republic Editors summoned by Mumbai Police, Network won’t reveal sources

Republic Media Network’s Executive Editor Niranjan Narayanaswamy and Senior Executive Editor Abhishek Kapoor have been summoned by the Param Bir Singh led Mumbai Police. It is shocking that the summons issued to them demands that they reveal the source of the Hansa Research Group Pvt Ltd (‘Hansa’)  complaint that bludgeoned the lies that the state machinery in Maharashtra tried to peddle against the news network. 

Tonight, Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh has crossed all limits in his continued desperate witch-hunt against Republic to expose his malicious agenda against a free press. To have the TEMERITY to demand that our Editors reveal their sources is a gory reminder of the Emergency Days and Republic roars that we will NOT REVEAL OUR SOURCE- come what may.

As it is well documented in the public domain, Republic Media Network on 10 October, 2020 put out the Hansa complaint report before the people of India. The Hansa complaint report served as the final nail in the coffin of lies built against Republic in the TRP case. The Hansa complaint neither referred to Republic TV nor made any mention of any affiliates, and thereby bludgeoned the entire narrative against the Network. 

The right to report is guaranteed under Article 19(1) of the Constitution. The right to practise any profession is guaranteed under Article 19(1)(d), and this right includes the right to have and hold source based information without revealing our sources. Republic Media Network will not stand for the ASSAULT on the fourth pillar of democracy and will fight this malicious, vindictive and vendetta driven targeting both in the honourable courts of law, and the courts of public opinion.

For the Mumbai Police to use its state machinery to HUNT DOWN independent journalists and use its SYSTEMS OF INTIMIDATION will NOT WORK with the team at Republic Media Network. We will refuse to crawl, refuse to bow down and refuse to toe the line that Param Bir Singh or any other political appointee dictates. We are guided by the pursuit of the truth and nothing and nobody can detract us from that path-- no matter the intimidation and pressure to relent. 

Every member of the team at Republic Media Network is willing to undergo thousands of hours of interrogation, questioning and torture but we will continue to uphold journalistic ethics, and not reveal our source of the Hansa complaint or any other story at any cost. 

Republic Media Network stands with our Executive Editor Niranjan Narayanaswamy and Senior Executive Editor Abhishek Kapoor. Republic takes pride in our journalism and our journalists. Republic stands wholly for the right of the media to report and protect its sources. Republic swears by oath that we will not relent.