Nagpur: Farm activist Kishor Tiwari has slapped a Legal Notice to Arnab Ranjan Goswami, Editor in Chief, Republic TV. for Criminal Defamation for insult, public humiliation, defamation, injury to prestige & image and Institution of Civil Suit for damages for suppression of voice & infringement of fundamental rights guaranteed under Constitution of India.
Here is text and photos of legal notice to Republic TV Editor Arnab Goswami
Legal Notice:
To,
Shri. Arnab Ranjan Goswami,
Editor in Chief, Republic TV, an English TV E Media Channel and Republic Bharat, a Hindi language TV E Media Channel
Purported to be owned by :
Republic Media Network
Under Corporate Entities:
M/s. SARG Media Holding Private Limited,
(CIN : U74999MH2016PTC284385)
having Registered office at
B-1701/1702,
Raheja Atlantis CHS,
Ganpatrao Kadam Marg,
Lower Parel Mumbai-400013.
And
M/s. ARG Outlier Media Private Limited,
(CIN: U74999MH2016PTC284365)
having it’s Registered office at
NBW Building, Wadia International Centre,
Bombay Dyeing Compound,
PB Road, Worli,
Mumbai- 400025.
Both Entities Represented by its
Director Shri. Arnab Ranjan Goswami
DIN No. 07659213
Republic Media Network,
Wadia International Centre,
Kamala Mills Compound,
NBW Building, Bombay Dying, Pandurang Budhkar Marg,
Century Mills, Lower Parel,
Mumbai – 400025
Email ID : mohit@republicworld.com
Sub : Notice of Prosecution for Criminal Defamation for insult, public humiliation, defamation, injury to prestige & image and Institution of Civil Suit for damages for suppression of voice & infringement of fundamental rights guaranteed under Constitution of India.
Ref : Public debate programs aired on your media channels Republic TV and Republic Bharat on 12/08/2020 and 13/08/2020 in which I was invited to join & express my views.
Dear Shri. Arnab Goswami ji,
I am very much disturbed to write this.
We know & respect each other since long as I have been devoting my life for the cause of Farmers, Tribals & sufferers in rural parts of Maharashtra especially, Vidarbha & Marathwada regions.
You are well aware that I am well qualified having engineering degree with post-graduation in management, law & public administration and contributing my services for the cause of poor through my NGO – VJAS and my official position as Chairman of Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavlamban Mission (VNSSM) in the rank of Minister of State, a farmers mission set up by Govt of Maharashtra in the year 2006 on which I have been devoting my time & energy since 2015 as its Chief, supervising relief measures in drought prone farmers suicide zones. As such I have thousands of followers and well-wishers in entire State as well as many other parts of our Country.
In 30 years of my Social life, as an activist, I had opportunities to participate in many debates on TV E Media Channels including few programs aired by you. I always respected the decency of the talk and always valued the thought & expression of others. There were no incidents of any bitterness or prejudice talk in such debates and by large there no untoward incident of suppression of voice by anchor who use to follow coronial principles of giving fair opportunity to participants in such debates.
You are also well aware that I am closely associated with the family of Shri. Uddhav ji Thackeray, the Chief Minister of State of Maharashtra and Chief of Shiv Sena, a political party registered & recognized by Election Commission of India, of which I am an advisor on Farmers & Rural distress.
I am constrained to initiate this notice of prosecution for Criminal Defamation for insult, public humiliation, defamation, injury to prestige & image and Institution of Civil Suit for damages for illegal suppression of voice & infringement of fundamental rights guaranteed under Constitution of India, caused in programs on your channels – Republic TV and Republic Bharat under your control and owned by the entities in which you are promoter director.
Brief of Incidents:
On 12/08/2020 and 13/08/2020, I have been respectfully invited by you through your team for TV debates on your E Media TV Channels – Republic TV and Republic Bharat respectively.
The main subjects in both the debates was pertaining to the unfortunate incident of untimely deaths of film star Sushant Singh Rajput (SSR) and one Disha Salian.
As I was aware that the issue of inquiry by the Mumbai Police as well as investigation by Bihar Police is subjudiced in Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, I thought it is prudent to highlight this prime aspect in the debate so that no controversy can surface at this stage, when the issue is before Hon’ble SC. So, in the first stage of debate itself, I made it clear that I am neither representing my party nor any body and pointed out in both the debate that Why this loud voiced Media Trial ahead of conclusion of Supreme Court Trial? Why don’t we keep faith in Supreme Court? Why can’t we wait till SC decides on CBI or Mumbai Police probe? Why this attempt in Contempt of Court is made by such media trial to influence the platforms? I tried to resist you from tarnishing the image of Thackeray family, but you were neglecting my views & suppressing my voice.
But, having understood my points, you in program of Republic TV and your editor Mr. Singh on Republic Bharat started, publically humiliated, insulted and defamed me ignoring the fact that the directions of the public debate on the subjudiced matter has caused direct interference & breach of court proceedings and thus is an attempt of contempt of court, that too Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in this case, as you have been talking and shouting so loudly perhaps just to influence the subjudiced matter in the most autocratic, prejudged, biased & predetermined style against CM Uddhav ji Thackeray .
When I protested your unilateral style & approach of conducting the debate, you suppressed my voice and I was not allowed to express my views, there-by violating & infringing my fundamental rights, though you were allowing other participants to speak whenever they were supporting your unilateral views. But as I was pointing out the fact that the debates are causing contempt of court and such media trials are in breach of settled principles not to influence or interfere with the proceedings of the courts when the matter is subjudiced. But you without listening to me, continued this willful disobedience and contempt of court and tried to influence & interfere with the proceedings thereof. Once during the program, you had gone one step more to term Mr. Uddhav ji Thackeray as “prime accused” of the case, in your prejudged, perversed, biased and predetermined style towards Thackeray family, I could realize from the tone & tenor of the debates. The entire style & approach of debates was based upon false, untrue, concocted stories & prejudice mindset in a predetermined way, which I have never seen & experienced ever before in my Social life, though I am participating in TV debates for more than 15 years now. I am very much pained & disturbed as I have been humiliated, insulted and not allowed to speak or express. This has tarnished my Social image and prestige in the minds of public at large.
These acts of yours and your team are highly unlawful and in gross violation of the settled preposition and is nothing but a case of criminal defamation, insult, public humiliation, injury to prestige & image and Institution of Civil Suit for damages for infringement of fundamental rights guaranteed under Constitution of India, caused in programs on your channels – Republic TV and Republic Bharat under your control and owned by the entities in which you are promoter director.
I would also recall & correlate these incidents of the public debates organised by you in recent years in which public image of popular political leaders like Late Ms. Sushama Swaraj of BJP was tarnished by linking her with the case of fugitive offenders Lalit Modi & Choksi, the shock Ms. Sushama Swaraj could not bear & ultimately her immune system collapsed and she fall victim of Cancer & unfortunately died of it untimely. Same is an experience in the public debate in Palghar episode in which you tarnished image of Smt. Soniya Gandhi by linking her name morally or otherwise. Entire nation watched your such planted style & approach to tarnish image of perticular person to whom you decides to target. The same thing has happened this time also, when you targetted entire debates on Thackeray family & ruling MVA Govt in Maharashtra. This is most unfortunate and sheer misuse freedom of expression & Media and forth estate of democracy. That’s why I now decided to take this subject loudly upto last.
Needless to mention that I participated and contributed in these open to access all programs of free to air TV Channels of Republic TV as well as Republic Bharat from my native place in Yavatmal district in Maharashtra, in presence of hundreds of my followers and programs were also seen by thousands of my followers and Shiv Sena party workers & well-wishers in Maharashtra as well as other parts of India, in whose eyes and minds my image & prestige has been lowered and it has caused big blot to me as my prestige is tarnished & spoiled completely, further causing big uncompensated loss to me and my family.
In view of above, I call upon you to render public apology with folding hands in prime slots in your programs on TV Channels along with publication of the same in leading print media for the knowledge & information of the public at large so that imputation caused to me and party leaders to whom I am advisor is erased to some extent, failing which I shall be constrained to launch criminal prosecution as well as Civil proceedings against you and your team in the Court of competent jurisdiction in Yavatmal district, for which cost & consequences will have to be borne by you and your team, please note.
This is apart from initiation of proceedings for placing facts before Hon’ble Supreme Court of India so as to pray to initiate criminal proceedings for Contempt of Court as you have willfully & mischievously tried to influence the matter subjudiced before the Apex Court of laws of the land, please note.
Hence this notice.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
Kishore Tiwari
Chairman, Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavlamban Mission (VNSSM)
Government of Maharashtra
(Minister of State Rank)
