The investigators served Goswami two notices on Sunday and, accordingly, he went to the police station at 9.30 am Monday.
Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami on Monday spent more than 12 hours at a police station and was questioned by Mumbai Police in connection with an FIR over his remarks on Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and the Palghar lynching.
The FIR had been filed by Nagpur Police based on a complaint by the Maharashtra Energy Minister Nitin Raut over Goswami’s statements in his show Sonia Gandhi in connection with the Palghar incident. The charges include provocation with intent to cause riot, promoting enmity between two groups on grounds of religion or race, deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs and defamation under relevant sections of the IPC.
The case was transferred to Mumbai Police after the Supreme Court set aside Goswami’s plea that all hate speech cases against him be quashed.
The investigators served Goswami two notices on Sunday and, accordingly, he went to the police station at 9.30 am Monday.
In his statement on the Republic TV website, Goswami said he was questioned for 12-and-a-half hours. “The interrogation that was done today was about my comments on Sonia Gandhi. I have made it very clear that I stand by my comments. I have made it absolutely clear that everything I have said is correct. I have said to the police my side of the story and they are completely satisfied. I have cooperated with the investigation…,†the statement said.
When asked if he was questioned due to political pressure, he told mediapersons, “I don’t want to ascribe motive now. But everyone who is watching here today knows exactly that I am on the side of the truth. I stand by every single comment….”
His lawyer Kantawala told the media, “There were lots of questioned presented in front of Arnab. There were clips which were shown, the whole television programme was also shown to him and whatever queries he was asked, he has answered each one of them.â€
Deputy Commissioner of Police Abhinash Kumar (zone III) said, “The Nagpur case got transferred to Mumbai and we are currently probing that. Besides, the investigator has the power to decide for how long he needs to interrogate a person.â€
Meanwhile, Youth Congress workers Arun Borade and Prateek Mishra, who had allegedly accosted Goswami early Thursday, were granted bail by Bhoiwada Court on Monday.