MUMBAI/ NEW DELHI :I really want to thank Maharashtra police that this day has come in my life. I kept a lot of patience. Although my husband and mother-in-law will not come back with this but they are still alive for me: Akshita Naik, wife of late Anvay Naik on Arnab Goswami’s arrest.Tweeted Akshita Naik.
The Raigad police had recently renewed investigation a 2018 case concerning the suicide of interior designer Anvay Naik, in which Goswami and two others – Feroze Shaikh and Nitesh Sarda – were accused. Why was Arnab Goswami arrested today?
The police have now sought custody of Goswami primarily for the reason that Anvay Naik’s suicide note purportedly cited unpaid dues from Goswami and ARG Outliers (parent company to Republic TV) as a reason for his suicide.
Hitting out at the BJP over its criticism of Arnab Goswami’s arrest in Mumbai, the Congress today said its “selective outrage” on press freedom is “shameful” and the law will take its own course in the case against the Republic TV editor-in-chief.
Arnab Goswami was arrested from his residence in Mumbai today for allegedly abetting the suicide of a 53-year-old interior designer. Several Union ministers and senior BJP leaders have criticised the Congress over Goswami’s arrest and called it an “attack on freedom of press”. The Congress is part of the Shiv Sena-led coalition government in Maharashtra.
Asked about Arnab Goswami’s arrest and the BJP’s criticism of it, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said she was actually very shocked with the “selective outrage” of the BJP of the sections of the government.
Why are they silent when Prashant Kanojia is jailed for a number of months just because he exposed a scam where children were being served salt and chapati in Mirzapur?” the spokesperson asked, referring to the journalist who was arrested by the UP Police.She raised several other questions.
Why, she asked, is the BJP “selectively silent” when sedition charges are slapped against journalists and when a case has been filed against (Scroll) journalist Supriya Sharma because she exposed the pathetic state of affairs in a village in Varanasi.
And when a reporter who exposed the PPE kit scam in Uttar Pradesh is jailed and faces serious sedition charges instead of action been taken against those responsible for the scam, she added.”So this selective outrage is extremely unwarranted, is shameful and they (the BJP) should be ashamed of saying anything,” she told reporters.
Supriya Shrinate also hit out at Arnab Goswami, saying she herself had been a journalist for almost two decades and alleged that he had brought complete “disgrace and shame” to journalism.”What he does in the garb of journalism is not journalism, what he does in the garb of journalism is the work of a BJP frontal,” Ms Shrinate alleged.
Ms Shrinate alleged the BJP should be the last one to be talking about freedom of the press. She also accused the BJP of “controlling the media” through advertisements and through “intimidation and fear”.
“I am reasonably certain that wherever Congress is in government or we are in alliance, people will not be punished if they are absolutely innocent. I also believe that law will take its own course even in this case,” she said.
Arnab Goswami, who was seen being pushed into a police van, claimed he was assaulted by police at his home. BJP president JP Nadda and various senior Union ministers, including Amit Shah, slammed Arnab Goswami’s arrest, describing it as a “blatant misuse of state power” and reminiscent of the Emergency.
As Goswami allegedly did not repay the amount due to Naik’s company – Concorde Designs Pvt. Ltd. – his company faced grave financial losses. The police also claim to have evidence that Naik’s wife, Akshata Naik and their daughter were bribed and threatened by Goswami to not pursue the case against him.
The police raise apprehension that if Goswami is not placed in police custody, he would threaten the witnesses and meddle with the investigation. The police submit that when the investigation was conducted in 2018, there was some lacunae in the investigation which is being remedied.
They have further told the remand court that the investigation which was re-opened upon orders is proceeding at a steady pace and giving positive results in terms of getting evidence in support of the allegations in the FIR.
For instance, it is stated that the police have found certain bank details of Republic TV in the records of Concorde. As such, it is stated that there are reasonable grounds to believe that upon further interrogating Goswami, more supporting evidence can be gathered.

The Police have concluded that for a thorough investigation, it is essential that Goswami be remanded for as many days as possible, which the Court may deem fit.
(Mumbai Bureau with Delhi Desk)

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