New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said to the Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami that let the panel of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly take a call and then the court will look into the matter.
The consideration by the top court was made during the hearing of an appeal by Goswami challenging the show-cause notice gave by the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for the initiation of a breach of privilege action against him for his reportage in late entertainer Sushant Singh Rajput case.
A bench directed by Chief Justice S A Bobde and including Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian stated, “Let the committee take a call and we will look into it… If there is any action on privileges and action against you, then we will consider.”
Senior Advocate Milind Sathe, representing Goswami, submitted before the bench that he was allowed just 10 minutes’ notice to show up before the State Assembly, after which, a notice was given for breach of privilege. Sathe contested under the steady gaze of the top court that Goswami was sent the notice to show up at 3 p.m. prior to the Assembly within 10 minutes.
Sathe included, “He could not appear and thereafter the privileges committee was formed. This notice was by the Speaker.”
The Chief Justice noticed that this was a show-cause notice by the Speaker and asked Goswami’s guidance to place this information in an affidavit. The bench orally saw that there has been no appearance so far in the issue.
Senior Advocate Sathe replied that the privileges committee was formed on October 22. The Chief Justice answered let the panel look into it. The bench said it will hear the Arnab matter on Friday.
In the past hearing in the issue, the top court had seen that the appeal could be entertained just if there is any action on the suggestion of the privileges committee of the House, following the show-cause notice gave to Goswami.
Senior advocate Harish Salve, who had shown up for Goswami, had kept up that his client was challenging the jurisdiction of the Assembly in the issue, as the ability to bring anybody for breach of privilege can’t reach out past the Assembly. The Supreme Court on September 30, gave notice to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on the appeal.
