Republic TV’s Arnab Goswami was arrested today in a two-year-old suicide case in which investigations were reopened recently, the Mumbai police said. Several Union Ministers are among those who have condemned the arrest as a reminder of the Emergency, when the Indira Gandhi government cracked down on the media.
Check Out Amit Shah and Prakash Javedkar tweets
“Congress and its allies have shamed democracy once again. Blatant misuse of state power against Republic TV and Arnab Goswami is an attack on individual freedom and the 4th pillar of democracy. It reminds us of the Emergency. This attack on free press must be and WILL BE OPPOSED,” tweeted Home Minister Amit Shah as reports emerged of Arnab Goswami’s arrest.
Congress and its allies have shamed democracy once again.
Blatant misuse of state power against Republic TV & Arnab Goswami is an attack on individual freedom and the 4th pillar of democracy.
It reminds us of the Emergency. This attack on free press must be and WILL BE OPPOSED.
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) November 4, 2020
https://twitter.com/PrakashJavdekar/status/1323831187693924353?s=20
Mr Goswami alleged that the police manhandled and assaulted him at his Mumbai home. They then pushed him into their van. He showed injuries to his arm.
Moreover, news agency ANI quoted him as saying that Mumbai Police “physically assaulted his mother-in-law and father-in-law, son and wife”. In videos aired by Republic TV, policemen, seen holding him as they attempting to take him away. The cops, however, charged him with assaulting a woman officer in a separate case.
The Republic Editor-in-Chief, arrested for allegedly abetting the suicide of a 53-year-old architect and interior designer, Anvay Naik, and his mother, in 2018.
Also, the architect had reportedly named Mr Goswami in a suicide note and had accused Republic TV of not paying him his dues after he designed the channel’s set-up.
The police closed the case two years ago, allegedly under pressure.
Two others named in the note, Feroz and Nitesh Sharda, also arrested.
In May, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had announced that the suicide, reinvestigated after a fresh complaint by Adnya Naik, the architect’s daughter.
Akshata and Adnya Statements
“Arnab kept saying arrests should be made in the Sushant Singh Rajput suicide case where there was no suicide note. My husband left behind a suicide note naming Arnab and two others but no arrests were made. How is this fair,” Anvay Naik’s wife Akshata said to reporters.
“There were three names in the suicide note. My father spent money, energy and sweat blood on the project. Arnab Goswami ensured my husband did not get his dues. My dad mentioned ₹ 83 lakhs as dues in his suicide note,” said her daughter Adnya.
More information!
However, the arrest comes in the middle of Mr Goswami’s row with the Mumbai Police over its investigations into a ratings scam and allegations that Republic TV is one of the three channels in manipulating TRPs or Television Rating Points by bribing households metred for viewership. The editor had accused the police of harassing his colleagues and pursuing a vendetta over his channel’s criticism of Mumbai Police’s handling of the Sushant Singh Rajput case.
Maharashtra’s ruling Shiv Sena denied that the arrest was a vindictive move. “The law is followed in Maharashtra. Police can take action if they have evidence against anyone. Since the formation of the Uddhav Thackeray government, no action has been taken against anyone for revenge,” said senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut.
Also, the early morning arrest fueled a deluge of posts on social media. Members of the ruling BJP, including cabinet ministers, alleged “fascism” by Maharashtra’s Shiv Sena-led coalition.
Check Out At Dr. S. Jaishankar Tweet
“Shades of the Emergency! The arrest of Arnab Goswami is an attack on the freedom of press. Those who really believe in this freedom must speak up!” – tweeted Foreign Minister S Jaishankar.
https://twitter.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1323850783213850624?s=20
Some more tweets
https://twitter.com/smritiirani/status/1323833070227578880?s=20
https://twitter.com/SushilModi/status/1323841618592497664?s=20
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