Delhi HC Quashes Criminal Defamation Complaint, Summons Against Arnab Goswami

PTI, NEW DELHI, NOV 4, 2025 :  The Delhi High Court on Tuesday set aside the summons issued to TV journalist Arnab Goswami in a criminal defamation complaint filed by advocate Vikram Singh Chauhan. The complaint had alleged that Goswami made defamatory remarks on a news channel in 2016. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna also quashed the criminal complaint against Goswami and two former officials of the TV channel – Shrijeet Ramakant Mishra and Samir Jain. The summons against Mishra and Jain were also nullified by the High Court.

The court passed its order on three separate petitions that challenged the trial court's decision summoning the accused in the defamation case. In his complaint, Chauhan claimed that Goswami and others had deliberately and wilfully defamed him during a TV broadcast in relation to the violence at the Patiala House Court following the 2016 Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) incident, where anti-India slogans were allegedly raised.

According to Chauhan, on February 19, 2016, during a programme broadcast by Goswami, defamatory and humiliating allegations were made against him. The advocate contended that these allegations were baseless and aimed at tarnishing his reputation, and further claimed that the remarks were made with the intent to destroy his career.

The trial court had earlier found sufficient material to summon Goswami and the others for the alleged offence of defamation, which under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) could carry a punishment of up to two years in prison, or a fine, or both.

The defamation case arose from a highly charged atmosphere in February 2016 when, on February 15, Kanhaiya Kumar, a student leader from JNU, was brought before the Patiala House Court for his remand in connection with the sedition charges. A mob, including several lawyers, allegedly assaulted Kumar and journalists present at the scene. The incident led to further violence two days later on February 17, when the magistrate had to conduct proceedings in his chamber due to security concerns. The assault was caught on camera, and Chauhan was allegedly seen as part of the mob.

The High Court’s decision to quash the summons and defamation complaint against Goswami and others comes as a significant relief for the TV journalist, especially in a case that had drawn considerable public attention due to the high-profile nature of the incident and the political climate surrounding it.

A detailed order from the Delhi High Court is awaited.