Zakir Naik slaps Arnab Goswamy and Times Now with Rs.500 crore defamation notice for ‘hate campaign’

30 Jul, 2016 17:24 IST|Sakshi
Zakir Naik and Arnab Goswamy

Mumbai: Televangelist Islamic preacher Dr. Zakir Naik has served a Rs. 500-crore defamation notice to Indian news channel Times Now and its Editor-in-Chief and news anchor Arnab Goswamy on Thursday for making unverified and derogatory remarks against him in their weekly show The News Hour , which he claims damaged his reputation in public.

The notice claimed that the channel telecast the ‘doctored’ video clips of his speeches and quotes of Dr. Naik — based on which the alleged defamatory remarks were made — to antagonise religious communities and malign his “impeccable reputation in the society”.

The notice, which was issued by his lawyer, Mubin Solkar, demanded an “unconditional apology” from the channel’s editor-in-chief, Arnab Goswami, bureau chief Megha Prasad and the CEO Avinash Kaul and Tmes Global Broadcasting, and its CEO, Sunil Lulla. It claimed that the channel telecast the ‘doctored’ video clips of his speeches and quotes of Dr. Naik — based on which the alleged defamatory remarks were made — to antagonise religious communities and malign his “impeccable reputation in the society”.

It also accused the channel of staging a ‘media trial’ and starting a ‘hate campaign’, influencing authorities to carry out a probe against Dr. Naik under the directions of the state government.

He had said that he have served defamation on ten media houses. He had also said that he won’t be returning to India this year. Recently, Bangladesh had banned his channel Peace TV and cancelled the permit to downlink the channel.

A TVgrab of Arnab Goswamy’s weekly show ‘The News Hour’ which Zakir Naik claims it damaged his reputation in public.

Demanding the channel disclose its sources, the notice asked for withdrawal of the alleged defamatory statements and payment of a sum of Rs. 500 crore in damages, or face criminal and civil proceedings. “The damage suffered by him is estimated at an amount not less than Rs. 500 crores,” the notice, drafted by Naik’s advocate Mubin Solkar, read.

Mr. Solkar said if the channel fails to comply with the notice, he plans to file a suit in the Bombay High Court. “We are compiling material against other news channels and electronic media platforms that have made derogatory statements against Dr. Naik. They will served notices soon,” he added.


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