The Bombay High Court on Tuesday, June 30, stayed both FIRs filed against Republic TV anchor and Chief Editor, Arnab Goswami. Interim relief was granted to him by the Bombay HC.

Reacting to the development, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra congratulated the Republic TV editor-in-chief. "Congratulations #ArnabGoswami सत्यमेव जयते। Now team congress can file FIRs in China," read his tweet.

arnab goswami
Goswami was earlier the editor-in-chief of Times Now, the English news channel owned by Times Network. He resigned from his post in November 2016 and launched his own news channel Republic TV on May 6 this year.Wikimedia Commons / Debastein

'No prima facie case against Arnab'

A division bench, including Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Riyaz Chagla, observed "prima facie no case was made out against Arnab Goswami".

Two FIRs were filed by the Mumbai Police against Arnab Goswami over alleged communalisation of the incidents of Palghar lynching and the gathering of migrant workers at Bandra railway station.

Arnab Goswami was booked under Sections 153, 153 A, 153 B, 295 A, 298, 500, 504, 505(2), 506, 120 B and 117 of the Indian Penal Code.

Earlier on June 13, the Bombay High Court protected Arnab Goswami from any coercive action and reserved its order on a criminal writ plea filed by Goswami seeking various reliefs, including quashing of two FIRs against him. The HC had also said that no coercive action would be taken against Arnab Goswami though he would appear before the police as ordered.