TRP Scam: Karnataka High Court order tomorrow in anticipatory bail plea filed by Republic TV COO, Priya Mukharjee

The Karnataka High Court will pass its order tomorrow in an anticipatory bail plea filed on behalf of the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Republic TV, Priya Mukharjee..Mukharjee had sought transit bail as she is apprehending arrest in the Fake Television Rating Points (TRP) Scam case registered by the Mumbai police..Justice HP Sandesh heard rivals submissions in the matter today before he proceeded to reserve his verdict..Mukharjee's counsel contended that she was ready to co-operate with the ongoing investigation in the matter and therefore, pre-arrest transit bail should be granted to her..Senior Advocate Devadutt Kamat appearing for the State government submitted that a anticipatory bail plea was not maintainable. It was further submitted that the present section 438 application was a "cut and paste" of the writ petition filed before Bombay High Court. .As no relief was granted by the Bombay High Court, the petitioner approached the Karnataka High Court, claimed Kamat. .Unscrupulous litigants, Kamat argued, should not be given the opportunity to entertain the idea of "forum shopping". If this is allowed, then the same would bring anarchy, he added. .When questioned on the reasons for urgent interrogation in the matter, Kamat apprised the Bench that Mukharjee had stated that she has the habit of "deleting chats" on mobile. ."Mukharjee should be questioned immediately because when she was asked whether she has any chats with Arnab Goswami, she said 'I chat with all employees but I am in a habit of deleting chats'", Kamat submitted. .Kamat also raised concerns of evidence being tampered with and an intention on the part of the petitioner to delay the investigation in the matter. .Kamat went on to submit that the allegation against the company and its employees is that they are indulging in activities such as bribing, etc to increase TRP and, therefore, the same requires urgent investigation. .Replying to the submissions advanced by Kamat, Mukharjee's counsel contended that she had not approached the Bombay High Court as alleged. Rather, it was Republic TV Editor-in-Chief, Arnab Goswami who had filed a petition before Bombay High Court his own interest. .Mukharjee's lawyer asked the court for interim protection for 20 days by which time she could approach the Bombay High Court for relief. .In her anticipatory bail application, Mukharjee has claimed that she and other employees of ARG Outlier (Holding company of Republic TV) have been falsely implicated in the matter based on the press statements given by the Commissioner of Police, Mumbai. .It was further submitted in the plea that the Mumbai police has ill-will against the Republic TV and Arnab Goswami as the latter had questioned the tardy investigation of the Mumbai Police in the suicide case of Sushant Singh Rajput and Palghar lynching case. .The allegations mentioned in the FIR of the TRP Scam case does not merit custodial interrogation of the petitioner, it was further submitted. .If the arrest of the petitioner is permitted, then it would have a chilling effect on the Article 19 (1) (a) as well as Article 21 of the Constitution, the plea added.