A criminal case has been filed against journalist and founder of Republic TV, Arnab Goswami by well-known news channel Times Now Group, also called Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd (BCCL).
The firm accused Goswami and reporter of Republic TV Prema Sridevi of copyright infringement.
According to sources, the BCCL has filed a complaint with the Azad Maidan Police Station in Mumbai under sections 378, with sections 379, 403, 405, with sections 406, 409, 411, 414 and 418 of the Indian Penal Code, besides Section 66-B, 72 and 72-A of the IT Act, 2000. The complaint alleges commission of offences of theft, criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of property and infringement of IPR of BCCL. The contention in the complaint was that the duo used material belonging to Times Now on their new media venture Republic TV on multiple occasions on May 6 and May 8, 2017.
On May 6, Goswami who was earlier serving as editor-in-chief of Times Networks’ flagship English news channel Times Now, launched his own news channel Republic TV. On the first day of its launch, the new channel carried what it termed as an ‘expose’ on Lalu Prasad in which audio tapes containing phone conversations between the former chief minister of Bihar and Shahabuddin, allegedly while the latter was in prison, were played out. Shahabuddin, a former MP, is currently in prison. Another story was aired on Republic TV on May 8, in which audio tapes of phone conversations between Sridevi (former news reporter of Times Now) and the late Sunanda Pushkar (wife of Congress leader Shashi Tharoor) and their house help Narayan was broadcast.
According to the complaint, both these stories displayed material, in the form of audio tapes of phone conversations that was procured and accessed while both Goswami and Sridevi were in the employment of Times Now.
An internal inquiry by BCCL has established that these tapes were procured and in possession of Goswami and Sridevi while they were in the service of BCCL, but was used on another channel. BCCL confirmed filing a criminal complaint against Goswami and Sridevi.
Arnab is yet to revert on the complaint. This is not first time, the channel has taken on him after he quit the company. Earlier, the channel claimed its copyright on Arnab’s popular phrase - “The Nation Wants To Know” - during his stint at the Times Now.
SUPRAJA
