Arnab Goswami remanded to judicial custody for two weeks

A Maharashtra court on Wednesday evening remanded Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami and two other accused in judicial custody till November 18 in a 2018 abetment to suicide case.

The police had sought Goswami’s custody for 14 days, but the court held that custodial interrogation was not required.

Goswami was arrested from his Lower Parel residence in Mumbai and taken to Alibaug police station. He has been booked under section 306 (abetment of suicide) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC in connection with the suicide of architect-interior designer Anvay Naik and Naik’s mother over alleged non-payment of dues by Republic TV in 2018.

Visuals of Arnab Goswami being forced into a police van were shown by Republic TV. Goswami claimed he had been physically assaulted by the Mumbai Police. Republic TV reported around 10 policemen entered Arnab’s house and “pushed and heckled Arnab demanding he come out”.

Goswami was produced in the afternoon before the Alibaug Magistrate’s court, where he and his lawyer Gaurav Parkar alleged that Goswami was assaulted by the police. The court then directed Goswami to be taken for medical check-up at the civil hospital.

He was brought back to court later in the evening. The court, after perusing the medical report, noted in the order that the allegations of physical assault were incorrect and there were only minor scratches on the accused’s hand.

Naik, in his purported suicide note, specifically mentioned the names of Goswami and the other two accused, the police said, adding that the note had been sent to handwriting experts in Pune and a report was awaited.