Sushant Singh coverage: Mumbai DCP files defamation complaint against Arnab Goswami
Mumbai, Feb 3: A deputy commissioner of police (DCP) in Mumbai on Wednesday filed a criminal defamation complaint against Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami for certain claims made during the coverage of the Sushant Singh Rajput death case.
Goswami's lawyers claimed that the tweets referred to in the complaint filed by DCP Abhishek Trimukhe were from a fake Twitter account as their client "is not on social media".
Trimukhe's complaint, filed before the sessions court here, also named ARG Outlier Media Private Limited which owns Republic Media Network, and Goswami's wife, as she is one of its directors.
"There were some tweets which misrepresented Trimukhe.
He had written about it to the Maharashtra government. The state home department gave its sanction (to file a complaint)," a senior police official said.
The complaint has been filed under Indian Penal Code sections 499, 500 (defamation) and 501 (printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory).
Goswami made "grossly false", "malicious" and defamatory statements during the coverage of actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death by suicide last year, it claimed.
These defamatory statements were telecast on the channel Republic Bharat during a discussion about phone records of actor Rhea Chakraborty, Rajput's girlfriend, it said.
"The said defamatory attacks have been made with a singular view of assassinating his (Trimukhe's) official character and thereby...maliciously and deliberately causing undue humiliation of the Mumbai Police Department," the complaint said.
Goswami also tweeted the contents of the telecast to a larger audience, the complaint said.
A statement from Goswami's legal team said that "he is not on social media" and the tweets to which the complaint referred was a fake Twitter handle impersonating the journalist.
"On the other parts, the Republic Media Network will respond legally as per due process," it said.
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Heavy rains prompt warnings and travel bans in many Kerala districts
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): As rains lashed many parts of Kerala, authorities on Sunday urged people, particularly those living in hilly and coastal areas, to exercise vigil.
The Meteorological Department has issued red alerts for Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, and Idukki districts for Sunday and Monday, and sounded orange alerts for four other districts, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, and Ernakulam, for these days.
The Met office predicted thunderstorms with moderate rainfall and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40 km/h at one or two places in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Kannur and Kasaragod districts of Kerala till 1 pm on Sunday.
The Idukki District Collector has ordered a ban on night travel through the hilly areas of the district from Sunday until the red and orange alerts are withdrawn.
"Strict instructions have been issued to the District Superintendent of Police, Sub Divisional Magistrates, Regional Transport Officers, and Tehsildars to implement the ban effectively," an official statement said.
Mining activities have been banned in Ernakulam and Kottayam districts in view of the forecast for heavy rain.
The southern district of Thiruvananthapuram experienced heavy rains on Saturday night, leading to waterlogging in the city and its suburbs, affecting normal life.
Visuals aired by news channels showed that houses and shops were flooded in some parts.
Due to the non-completion of the Smart City Road, waterlogging has worsened in many places.
In some areas, canals crisscrossing the capital city and its suburbs overflowed.
The affected people alleged that the lack of pre-monsoon cleaning of canals and drainage systems was the reason for the waterlogging in the capital city and its suburbs.
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