Karnataka HC Stays Cases Against Malviya, Goswami

**Karnataka High Court Halts Criminal Proceedings Against Amit Malviya and Arnab Goswami Over Alleged False Claims** In a significant legal development, the Karnataka High Court has issued an interim stay on criminal proceedings against BJP leader Amit Malviya and Republic TV's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami. The proceedings are linked to accusations that they made false claims suggesting the Indian National Congress (INC) operates an office in Istanbul, Turkiye. Justice S Rachiah granted the interim order on Thursday while reviewing petitions from Malviya and Goswami seeking to quash the cases against them. This stay will remain active until the matter is next heard in court. Separately, Malviya is facing another legal challenge related to a controversial social media post. The post featured a doctored image merging half of Gandhi's face with that of Pakistan's Army Chief, Asim Munir. The caption insinuated Gandhi was aligning with Pakistan's narrative following India's Operation Sindoor, a military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. It further speculated if Gandhi aspired for Pakistan's highest civilian award, the Nishan-e-Pakistan. The Congress party has filed multiple complaints nationwide, including in Karnataka, accusing Malviya and Goswami of organizing a "criminally motivated campaign" to distribute misinformation implying the Istanbul Congress Centre is an official INC office. The party contends that this disinformation was aimed to defame it, spark unrest, and jeopardize national security, particularly amid tense diplomatic relations between India and Turkiye following recent conflicts. On May 20, Republic TV acknowledged a mistake in its digital coverage by including an irrelevant image linked to the alleged Congress office in Turkey, which was inadvertently used by a video editor. The channel clarified that the image was not aired on Goswami's primetime show and offered an "unconditional and sincere" apology. The following day, Malviya reiterated on his 'X' handle that the Congress had opened an office in Turkiye in 2019, asserting the legal actions against him as evasive and maintaining the party had not yet offered a credible clarification. During Thursday's court session, Senior Advocate Aruna Shyam, representing Malviya and Goswami, argued the cases were devoid of substance and driven by political motives. He pointed out inconsistencies in the legal proceedings, highlighting that a charge initially bailable under Section 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was allegedly escalated to a non-bailable one under Section 353 after police sought a magistrate's intervention. Section 353 relates to statements intended to incite public disorder. Shyam questioned the relevance of Section 353, stating, "He (Gandhi) is not a government functionary but the opposition leader," implying that the legal escalation was politically motivated. The State's counsel countered by explaining the investigation is in its preliminary stages, with no moves to arrest but merely notices issued. He appealed to the court to allow the inquiry to continue to accurately determine the context and nature of the disseminated information.