Arnab Goswami gets exemption from personal appearance till March 15 in defamation case

Republic TV-founder Arnab Goswami get exemption from Delhi High Court from personal appearance till March 15 in a defamation case filed by Vikram S Chauhan.

TV journalist Arnab Goswami is in the mid of a legal battle with a renowned lawyer Vikram Singh Chauhan. The 45-year old Republic TV-founder was granted exemption for personal appearance by the Delhi High Court till March 15, 2019 in a defamation case filed against him by Vikram Singh Chauhan.

Arnab Goswami moved the Delhi High Court on February 7 to challenge the summons issued to him in a criminal defamation complaint filed by Vikram Chauhan for allegedly making defamatory remarks following the 2016 Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) incident where anti-national slogans were raised.

In the complaint filed by Chauhan against globally-acclaimed journalist Arnab Goswami, he submitted that the news anchor had levelled baseless and humiliating allegations against him during a programme on February 19, 2016, which was (according to the petitioner) was an attempt to blemish his reputation and vengeance against him with an objective to destroy his career.

According to Bar and Bench, when Kanhaiya Kumar was brought before the Patiala House Court on February 15, 2016 for his remand, a mob consisting of several lawyers beat him (Kanhaiya Kumar) up and some more journalists. The incident, caught on camera showed the petitioner Chauhan as part of the mob. When India Today conducted a sting operation, Chauhan was seen reportedly confessing that he brutally battered Kanhaiya Kumar.

Based on this background, Arnab Goswami conducted a debate show and he resorted to calling Chauhan a 'hooligan' and 'goonda'. Chauhan alleges that the Arnab passed defamatory comment against him.

"Present petition ought to be heard by the same Bench. Be listed on 15.03.2019, subject to the order of the Chief Justice," Justice Gauba said. Arnab and Chauhan are represented by the advocates Siddharth Agarwal and Vijay Agarwal respectively.