Mumbai Police challenge Republic TV's "vaccillating" stand in affidavit

In a recently-submitted affidavit filed in the Mumbai High Court, the Mumbai Police has challenged Republic TV's rejoinder in the TRP scam case and asserted that the channel was attempting to 'play victim' by adopting different stands on the chargesheet.

The affidavit also clarifies that the channel itself has not been named in the accused list. The affidavit criticises Republic TV's antagonistic efforts to quash the case despite claiming there was no clear evidence against it.

Republic TV had earlier asked for the chargesheet in the case to be quashed and had also asked the court to transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as it alleged a political vendetta by the Maharashtra government and Mumbai Police. However the police have argued that the demand should be discouraged as no conclusive proof against the accused had been discovered.

The case is being heard before the bench of Justice S.S.Shinde and Justice Manish Pitale which is hearing the petition by ARG Outlier Ltd and Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami.

"Merely naming such persons as suspects does not in any manner interfere with any right of such persons, much less a fundamental right. Such action cannot be the basis for quashing an entire investigation/chargesheet supplementary chargesheet," the affidavit reads. The Mumbai Police has also rejected Republic TV's demand for a line by line explanation of the probe.

The affidavit was filed by Shashank Sandbhor, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Mumbai Police.