Former bosses file criminal case against Arnab Goswami

Arnab Goswami was the former Editor-In-Chief of Times Now, a news channel of Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd

A criminal case has been filed against journalist and founder of Republic TV, Arnab Goswami. His former employers Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd filed a complaint accusing Goswami and reporter of Republic TV Prema Sridevi of copyright infringement.

A complaint filed with the Azad Maidan Police Station in Mumbai accused the journalists 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.

BCCL claimed that Arnab Goswami and Prema Sridevi breached copyright by broadcasting audio and video material which was in their possession when they were employees of BCCL on Republic TV.

Arnab Goswami's Republic TV, on May 6, broadcast audio tapes of conversation between former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad and Shahabuddin. The channel claimed that the Shahabuddin was in prison when the conversation took place. On May 8 the channel broadcast conversation between Sridevi who was a former news reporter for Times Now, and Sunanda Pushkar. BCCL has alleged that both the audio tapes were procured when the duo was employed with Times Now but was used on another channel.

The complaint alleges that Goswami and Sridevi have 'willfully, deliberately and with knowledge converted for their benefit and used the aforesaid intellectual property of Times Now and thereby dishonestly misappropriated the said intellectual property, thereby committing the offence of criminal misappropriation of property punishable under section 403 of IPC and several other provisions under applicable laws'.

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