Republic TV Files Defamation Complaint Against Navika Kumar

Defamation Complaint Against Navika Kumar: ARG Outlier Media Pvt. Ltd, the company behind news channel Republic TV, has reportedly filed a defamation complaint against anchor-journalist Navika Kumar alleging she made "rabid and unfounded claims" against their editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami. 

As per Bar & Bench, the complaint has been filed in New Delhi's Patiala House court upon the allegation that Kumar made statements deemed defamatory towards Goswami, in the ongoing news TRP scam case.

The complaint takes offence to remarks made by Kumar on her show, with the petition stating the "Accused Person has gone on a reckless spree to spew grossly defamatory material mentioned below that has been telecast, published, circulated and disseminated on the TV Channel Times Now as well as the internet in various portal such as the Youtube."  

Republic TV files criminal defamation complaint against Times Now anchor Navika Kumar over her #NewsHour show against Republic TV and #ArnabGoswami on the basis of the alleged Whatsapp chats in Mumbai Police charge sheet in #TRPscam case.#NavikaKumar@TimesNow pic.twitter.com/iRNJcvJcdi

— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) January 28, 2021

Defamation Complaint Against Navika Kumar By Republic 

In a segment of her show, where Kumar was interviewing panelists on the matter around the alleged TRP scam, she was heard saying, "I worked with him for 12 years, learnt a lot from him and had respect for him as a TV professional… Today, I have to say this from a heavy heart that this man, who followed commercial success to such an extent, is someone I don’t know at all." 

Kumar and Goswami were formerly colleagues at Times, before the latter left to establish his own enterprise Republic Media Network. Read more about the TRP case here. 

Kumar's Channel Reacts To Alleged TRP Scam 

Various latest reports have suggested alleged collaboration by Goswami and former Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) CEO Partho Dasgupta to manipulate television ratings in the former's favour. During the investigation, the Mumbai Police made available contents of WhatsApp chats said to be between the two aforementioned parties. 

The Times Group, for which Kumar is an anchor with channel Times Now, recently stated that it would take legal action against BARC claiming TRP manipulation, as per Business Standard. 

"Since 2017 and especially after the launch of Republic TV in May 2017, BCCL/ Times Network suspected large scale manipulation of ratings," Times Now said in a statement.