As regards the second FIR, relating to gathering of large crowd of migrants at Bandra station, Sibal had submitted: “Arnab asked: Who caused the congregation of a crowd near a Masjid? Why didn’t he ask – Who caused the congregation of a crowd near Bandra station? If Masjid was used just as a statement of fact, why did he twist the question? So he’s not using Masjid as a matter of fact. A journalist has no right to consider his investigation to be gospel & air it to create disturbance. All this will be investigated. It will be investigated as to why was he doing a series of such shows? What was his intention?”

Earlier, the Supreme Court had declined Goswami’s prayer to transfer the investigation from Maharashtra police to the Central Bureau of Investigation. The top court also turned down his prayer to quash the FIR, saying that powers under Article 32 of the Constitution cannot be exercised for such purposes. However, the SC quashed the multiple FIRs filed in various states over the reports, and confined the investigation only to the FIR lodged in Mumbai.

The SC bench comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and M R Shah also granted him interim protection from arrest, and gave liberty to him to move the Bombay High Court with respect to quashing of FIR.

On June 10, Goswami had to appear before Mumbai police for interrogation for the second time, after the Bombay HC declined to grant him exemption from such appearance.