Arnab Goswami

In a setback for Arnab Goswami, the Bombay high court on Monday refused to stay investigation against the Republic TV editor-in-chief and the TV channel.

The high court asked the Mumbai Police to issue summons to the Republic TV editor-in-chief if he is proposed to be addressed as an accused in the TRP scam case.

A division bench of justices S S Shinde and M S Karnik said if such a summons is issued then Goswami shall appear before the police and cooperate with the investigation.

Republic TV is one of the three channels accused by Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh of TRP rigging.

The high court will start the final hearing in the case from November 5.

It court directed the Mumbai police to produce all the developments in investigation before it in a sealed cover by November 4.

“The FIR is not an encyclopedia. We would like to peruse the investigation papers and see what probe has been done from today till the next date of hearing,” the court said.

The court was hearing a petition led by ARG Outlier Media Pvt Ltd, which owns Republic TV, and Goswami seeking to quash the FIR lodged on October 6.

Republic TV moved the Bombay high court seeking quashing of the FIR registered in the case and its transfer from Mumbai police to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).