The Karnataka High Court has quashed the criminal proceedings against former BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya and Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami over a disputed claim that the Indian National Congress had an office in Istanbul, Turkey.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna allowed the petitions challenging the proceedings. The detailed order was awaited at the time of reporting.
The FIR was registered at Bengaluru’s High Grounds police station following a complaint by Congress worker Shrikant Swaroop B.N. The complaint alleged that the claim concerning the Istanbul Congress Centre was intended to mislead the public and damage the Congress party’s reputation.
The case invoked Sections 192 and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, dealing with provocation with intent to cause a riot and intentional insult intended to provoke a breach of peace.
Malviya had questioned on social media whether the Congress had a registered office in Turkey. Republic TV also carried related content on its digital platform.
Goswami’s petition stated that the image appeared in the digital version of a programme because of a technical error. It further submitted that the channel removed the image and issued a corrigendum expressing regret.
The High Court had earlier stayed the proceedings. It has now allowed both petitions and quashed the criminal case against Malviya and Goswami.
The detailed reasoning behind the decision will be available from the court’s written order.
Detailed Order is Awaited
Case Details:
Case Title: Arnab Goswami AND State of Karnataka and Anr & Amit Malviya AND State of Karnataka and Anr
Case Number: CRLP 7425 of 2025
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