Advertisement

Arnab Goswami sent to 14-day judicial custody by Alibag court

Rahul M
·5 min read

Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami was remanded to 14-day judicial custody late on Wednesday evening by the Alibag Court following his arrested earlier in the day by Raigarh police in connection with an abetment to suicide case of 2018.

The court rejected Goswami's allegations that he had been assaulted during his arrest.

Early on Wednesday morning, Goswami was arrested from his house in Mumbai for allegedly abetting the suicide of interior designer Anvay Naik and his mother Kumud Naik in 2018.

Goswami alleged that he along with his mother-in-law, father-in-law, son and wife were physically assaulted by the Mumbai Police who entered his residence and physically assaulted them.

Republic TV channel telecast visuals of Mumbai Police entering Goswami's residence and what appears to be a scuffle. He was reportedly physically assaulted and grabbed by the hair, reported OpIndia.

Goswami has alleged that the Mumbai Police did not produce any documents, summons or court papers when they reached his residence to arrest him.

The Mumbai Police team also blocked Republic Media Network’s reporters from entering Arnab’s residence and have sealed all entry and exit points, Republic TV said.

Cops said that Goswami will now be taken to Alibaug. The incident follows the TRP scam investigation that is underway against Goswami and Republic TV.

Earlier, an FIR was lodged against Goswami, his wife, minor son and two others, at the NM Joshi Marg Police Station in Mumbai, for allegedly assaulting a female police officer during his arrest. The FIR has been registered under IPC sections 353, 504, 506 and 34. He has been asked to keep bail papers ready.

Hindustan Times reports that the case goes back to 2018 when a 53-year-old interior designer Anvay Naik and his mother Kumud Naik died by suicide in Alibaug in May 2018.

In May 2018, an FIR was filed against Arnab Goswami in an alleged abetment to suicide case. An interior designer killed himself at his bungalow in Alibaug.

In a suicide note, Anvay Naik purportedly claimed that Arnab Goswami, Feroz Shaikh and Niteish Sarda owed him a total of Rs 5.4 crore.

The Times of India had then reported that Arnab Goswami had allegedly not paid Rs 83 lakh for a design project of a studio.

Goswami was investigated, but in 2019 the case was closed by Raigad Police.

However, in May 2020, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh announced a fresh CID investigation into the case after Adnya Naik, daughter of Avnay Naik, approached him and complained that the Alibaug police had not investigated the ‘non-payment of dues from Arnab Goswami’s Republic’.

The raid against Arnab Goswami’s residence incidentally comes just a day after the Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh had called Arnab ‘the biggest hawala’ operator in the city of Mumbai.

Goswami had earlier been booked in two cases related to his alleged provocative remarks and defaming Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi in a television debate on Palghar mob lynching incident and Bandra station crowding incident report at NM Joshi Marg police station and Pydhonie police station respectively.

The two cases were registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including provocation with intent to cause riots, defamation, statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes, criminal intimidation, and criminal conspiracy.

On June 30, the Bombay High Court stayed two FIRs registered against Goswami.

The Supreme Court, on October 26, adjourned for two weeks the hearing on an appeal filed by the Maharashtra government challenging the Bombay High Court order, which stayed the investigation against Arnab Goswami in connection with his alleged comments on his show over the Palghar lynching case.

The Supreme Court has also said it would hear Goswami’s plea on November 6 challenging the show cause notice by the Maharashtra Assembly for initiation of breach of privilege motion against him for reportage related to the case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death.

The show cause notice has been issued to Goswami for making certain remarks against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackrey in his news debates on Rajput’s case.

In April this year, Goswami and his wife Samyabrata Ray were allegedly attacked when they were driving back home from the Republic TV Headquarters in Worli.

Inputs from ANI, PTI, The Quint, Hindustan Times, OpIndia

ALSO READ: