The Karnataka High Court on Saturday said it will pronounce its orders on September 3 on petitions filed by former BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya and Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, seeking the quashing of an FIR registered against them following a complaint from a Congress leader. The matter was heard by Justice M Nagaprasanna, who said the interim protection already granted to the petitioners would continue until the next hearing.
The two petitions, Amit Malviya v State of Karnataka and Arnab Goswami v State of Karnataka, challenge the criminal proceedings initiated against the two individuals. Senior advocate Aruna Shyam, who appeared for the petitioners, as well as the Special Public Prosecutor were among the witnesses.
Shyam, during her submissions, made a pointed remark while questioning the basis for registering an FIR in the matter. “Short point for consideration, how an FIR can be filed in these kinds of cases, the nation wants to know?” she submitted before the court.
The phrase instantly grabbed attention since "The Nation Wants to Know" is well known to Arnab Goswami and one of the most well-known phrases when he speaks on his television debates. The remark came as the petitioners were challenging the legal basis for the FIR and asking to end the proceedings against them.
The case dates back to May 2025 when Shrikant Swaroop BN, the head of the Indian Youth Congress legal cell, filed a complaint against Malviya. Malviya made a statement on a TV debate on Republic TV, the complaint said. During the programme, Malviya said the Istanbul Congress Centre in Turkey was an office of the Indian National Congress.
Following the complaint, an FIR against both Malviya and Goswami was registered. This led to a court case filed in the Karnataka High Court and the petitioners challenged the criminal proceedings and sought relief from the court.
In May 2025, the Karnataka High Court had stayed the criminal proceedings against Goswami and Malviya in connection with the complaint. The interim protection has remained in place while the petitions challenging the FIR have been considered by the court.
At Saturday’s hearing, the High Court made it clear that the stay would continue until the matter was taken up again. The court will hear the matter for orders on September 3, when it is expected to dictate its decision on the petitions.
The Bench stated, “Post for dictating orders on Sep 3. Interim order subsisting will continue until the next date of hearing.”
The petitioners have previously argued that the complaint and subsequent FIR were politically motivated and lacked a legal basis. Their position has been that the criminal proceedings should not continue on the basis of the statements that formed the subject matter of the complaint.
The proceedings have attracted attention because they involve well-known figures from media and politics. Malviya, a senior BJP leader and former head of the party’s IT Cell, and Goswami, one of India’s best-known television news personalities, have challenged the criminal case together before the Karnataka High Court.
The issue before the court is whether the allegations arising from the televised remarks justify registration and continuation of criminal proceedings. The petitioners are seeking the quashing of the FIR, while the State has opposed their challenge through its legal representatives.
The court’s decision on September 3 could determine the immediate course of the proceedings against Goswami and Malviya. Till then, the interim protection granted by the Karnataka High Court will remain in place.
The case also highlights legal problems that can arise from statements made during political and television debates, particularly when such remarks lead to complaints and criminal proceedings. The coming order will be closely watched as the court considers the arguments raised by both sides and decides whether the FIR should continue or be quashed.
