Former Mumbai top cop withdraws defamation suit against Arnab Goswami

The Rs 90 lakh defamation suit filed against Arnab Goswami by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh has been withdrawn, LiveLaw reported.

Mumbai city civil Judge VD Kelkar allowed the application, but imposed a cost of Rs 1,500 on Singh, which will be payable to Goswami. The judge said this cost needed to be imposed since the defendant had to engage an advocate due to the filing of the suit.

The defamation case against ARG Media, parent company of Republic TV, had sought a decree and order for payment of damages to the tune of Rs 90 lakh, along with interest at 12 percent per annum, for allegedly showing Singh in bad light.

Goswami and the company had questioned the maintainability of the suit since Singh was no longer the police commissioner when the case was filed. They also cited Singh’s statement to the ED, in which he allegedly said that dismissed police official Sachin Waze had been taking instructions from former home minister Anil Deshmukh.

When Singh filed an application to withdraw the suit, Goswami’s lawyer pointed to the cost of alleged torture endured by the anchor.