The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a petition filed by Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami seeking protection for all the employees of the news channel from coercive action by Maharashtra Police.
A top court bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud while hearing the matter said that prayers in the petition were “all ambitious”, Bar and Benches reported.
“This petition is ambitious in nature. You want Maharashtra police not to arrest any employee and transfer to CBI. You better withdraw this,” said Justice Chandrachud.
Goswami’s counsel, senior advocate Milind Sathe then chose to withdraw the plea after the Court granted liberty to Goswami and Republic TV to move appropriate forum for relief.
The Republic TV chief filed the petition alleging continuous hounding of the channel and its employees by the Maharashtra Police and seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The petitioner had also said there should be a CBI inquiry against the state and its police in the matter for lodging several cases against the media group and its employees.
It had also sought a direction that no editorial and other staffs of the media group be arrested by the Maharashtra police.
Mumbai Police had registered a case in the alleged Television Rating Points (TRP) manipulation scam and Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh had claimed that three channels, including Republic TV, had manipulated the TRP.