Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami and his wife Samyabrata Ray on Wednesday moved a court in Mumbai, seeking pre-arrest bail in a first information report filed against them for allegedly assaulting a female officer during the journalist’s arrest in an abetment to suicide case, PTI reported.
The petition is likely to be heard by Additional Sessions Judge PB Jadhav on Thursday, unidentified officials told the news agency.
Goswami was charged under Sections 353, 504, 506 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code in the FIR on November 4, according to the Hindustan Times. These sections deal with charges such as assault of a public servant, breaking public peace and criminal intimidation.
The couple sought pre-arrest bail shortly after Goswami was released from Mumbai’s Taloja Jail as the Supreme Court granted him bail in the abetment to suicide case. The court noted that Goswami had the right to a fair probe in the case.
“We hold [Bombay] High Court was incorrect in not granting bail,” a bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Indira Banerjee said. The bench also said that “the High Court made a gross mistake”, according to Live Law.
The judges added: “The question whether enquiry could have started is up for consideration. If there are serious questions to be tried, why was there no interim relief? If the High Court felt there were serious questions for consideration, why no interim release was granted to him?”
The case against Goswami
Goswami and two other people – Feroz Shaikh and Nitesh Sarda – are alleged to have failed to pay money they owed to an interior designer named Anvay Naik, managing director of Concorde Designs Private Limited. Naik and his mother were found dead in their home in Kavir village near Mumbai in 2018. A suicide note said that the Goswami, Shaikh and Sarda had not paid dues amounting to Rs 5.4 crore.
In 2019, the Maharashtra Police had closed the case. However, on November 4, Goswami was arrested and remanded to 14-judicial custody, with the police stating that they were now investigating the matter again.
On Monday, the Bombay High Court refused to stop the investigation and grant Goswami bail, stating that there was no prima facie case for the court to invoke its extraordinary jurisdiction.
Also read
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!