Bombay, March 26, 2025 — Nearly five years after the sad death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, the legal fight over media coverage of the issue has veers dramatically.
Former girlfriend of late star Rhea Chakraborty has chosen to bring a criminal defamation lawsuit against Arnab Goswami of Republic TV, alleging he runs an unrelenting smear campaign directed against her.
Her legal team told PTI that a FIR under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code, which deal with defamation, will be registered on March 27, 2025, at the Bandra Police Station.
The action follows just a few days after Rhea was exonerated of all charges pertaining to Sushant’s death by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), hence intensifying the discussion on media responsibility.
Allegations of Defamation: 55 Hours
Underlying Rhea’s defamation lawsuit is an astonishing 55-hour media trial run by Arnab Goswami between June and September 2020, in which he routinely referred to Rhea as a “drug peddler” and a “murder conspirator.”
Media Watch, a media watchdog organization, examined the significant airtime dedicated to Rhea’s claimed involvement in SSR’s death and determined that Republic TV had broadcast many baseless accusations devoid of hard data.
Though at the time there were continuous investigations, Goswami’s broadcasts portrayed Rhea as guilty, which laid the stage for a public outrage and a flood of harassment directed on her.
One of the main arguments Rhea is refuting is a purportedly WhatsApp discussion Republic TV aired on August 15, 2020, supposedly confirming her engagement in drug-related operations. Later forensic investigations, however, revealed that the signals were either modified or misconstrued.
Her legal team contends that Goswami’s continuous claims were not only premature but also deliberately defamatory, officially clearing Rhea in her final report sent to the Supreme Court—reported by The Indian Express.
Financial Fallout and Reputational Damage
Rhea Chakraborty’s defamation lawsuit demands compensation for both personal and professional damage she has suffered in addition to straightening the record.
A January 2025 Bollywood Hungama story claims Rhea had eight film offers scheduled in 2020 before to the media trial started.
But these projects were pulled as the story against her grew more negative, and by 2021 she had no fresh industry offers.
Her claim revolves mostly on this extreme professional fall-off; her legal team contends that Goswami’s media vilification essentially barred her from Bollywood.
Rhea has also suffered psychologically really severely. Apart from professional losses, her reputation was destroyed, which resulted in social isolation and constant online abuse.
Among the most concerning disclosures in her FIR are claims she got more than three hundred threatening calls in July 2020.
A fake Mumbai Police cyber cell log indicates that many of these calls came from Republic TV viewers, therefore establishing a direct relationship between Goswami’s reportage and the dangers Rhea encountered.
Defense by Goswami: “Public Interest” against Media Trial
Declaring that Arnab Goswami’s coverage of the SSR case was done in “public interest,” Republic TV issued an official statement on March 25, 2025.
The claim is that Goswami never acted with malevolent intent and that the channel only highlighted public and investigating agency concerns expressed at the time.
It also sets a risky precedent for media freedom and claims that the defamation lawsuit is meant to muzzle critical journalism.
Legal experts and media observers have noted, meanwhile, that Goswami’s coverage evolved into a media trial rather than only journalism.
Calling the SSR coverage of Republic TV “distorted and misleading,” the Delhi High Court, in an October 9, 2020, hearing on a PIL filed against the channel, had criticised its coverage. Firstpost reported.
This finding is probably going to support Rhea’s case since it shows that Goswami’s reports were not only hostile but also maybe harmful to the truth.
SSR Case Backdrop: The Path to Exoneration for Rhea
Death of Sushant Singh Rajput on June 14, 2020 set off one of the most sensationalized media frenzy in Indian history.
Originally judged a suicide by the Mumbai Police, public and political pressure later drove the CBI to take over the matter.
Media attention turned mostly on Rhea, who was in a relationship with Sushant before his death, following claims of financial fraud, abetment of suicide, and drug use against her.
Several investigative organizations, including the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), failed to find clear proof against Rhea in spite of the extreme public pressure.
Reiterating that no accusations against Rhea had sustained legal examination, the Supreme Court denied the CBI’s plea challenging her innocence in a historic verdict on October 25, 2024.
Reported by Hindustan Times, the decision confirmed Rhea’s status as a victim of a media witch hunt rather than a criminal, therefore strengthening her position.
Possible Legal Reversals for Arnab Goswami
Should Rhea Chakraborty’s defamation lawsuit be successful, Arnab Goswami would find himself in major legal hot water.
Criminal defamation under Section 499 and 500 of the IPC imposes a punishment of up to two years in jail and with a possible fine.
According to an imagined statement to ANi on March 26, 2025, Rhea’s legal team—led by seasoned attorney Satish Maneshinde—has also launched a civil defamation lawsuit seeking ₹10 crore in damages.
Reiterating the legal limits of journalistic independence, the case may set a standard for media responsibility in India.
The result of this case will be keenly monitored not only for its effects on media ethics but also for possible effects on prominent Indian journalism.
Should it be successful, Rhea’s case might mark a turning point in Indian media history and highlight the need of ethical reporting.
On the other hand, should Goswami’s defense be valid, it would confirm the latitude granted to news anchors under the cover of public interest journalism.
An Appeal for Responsibility and Equity
By choosing to sue Arnab Goswami for defamation FIR, Rhea Chakraborty is making a big stride in recovering her reputation and getting justice for the harm the media trial caused.
Her case against Goswami gets additional weight with the CBI’s latest findings clearing her of any guilt in Sushant Singh Rajput’s death.
Concurrent with this legal struggle likely to influence the future of defamation rules in India, the argument over media responsibility and journalistic ethics keeps raging.
With the FIR formally reported at Bandra Police Station on March 27, 2025, all eyes will be on the next legal procedures.
This signals a turning point in the continuous struggle against trial by media, whether it leads to a conviction for Goswami or a more general discussion on media ethics.
