Why urgent listing for Arnab Goswami, asks Dushyant Dave

New Delhi: Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Dushyant Dave has objected to the 'extraordinary urgent' listing of the Special Leave Petition filed by Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami in the Supreme Court on Wednesday, and has said that it was deeply disturbing how every time Goswami approaches the apex court, his matter gets listed urgently.

In a letter addressed to the secretary-general of the Supreme Court, Dave asked whether there was any special direction from the Chief Justice of India in this regard. “While thousands of citizens remain in jails… it is, to say the least, deeply disturbing that as to how and why every time Mr Goswami approaches the Supreme Court, his matter gets listed instantly. Is there any special order or direction from the Chief Justice and the Master of Roster in this regard? It is quite well known that such extraordinarily urgent listings of matter cannot and do not take place without specific orders from the Honourable Chief Justice. Or is it that as the Administrative Head you or the Registrar listing is giving special preference to Shri Goswami?” Dave wrote in his letter. Goswami moved the Supreme Court against the Bombay High Court’s decision on Monday to reject his interim bail application.

His petition will be heard on Wednesday in the apex court by Justices DY Chandrachud and Indira Banerjee. Goswami was arrested last week listfor allegedly abetting the suicide of interior designer Anvay Naik and his mother in 2018. “The subject matter was filed yesterday, it got instant diary number, though not final, and it is listed tomorrow. This is a gross abuse of administrative power, whosoever has exercised it on administrative side,” said Dave.


In his letter, the SCBA president said former finance minister P Chidambaram, “a respected senior advocate”, could not get similar speedy listing and spent long months in jail. Dave asked the Supreme Court secretary general to place his letter before the bench hearing the matter on Wednesday. He also said that till a foolproof system to ensure urgent listings is put in place and all urgent requests prior to November 10 are listed, the Goswami matter should not be heard.