Arnab Goswami assaulted, arrested at home by Shiv Sena’s Police: BJP and PMO call it an ‘Emergency’ in state

Republic TV editor Arnab Goswami was detained from his Mumbai Home by Raigad police without any warrant/court orders on Wednesday in connection with abetment to suicide case filed against him and two others in 2018.

The Raigad police have although not yet confirmed the arrest. “Arnab Goswami is currently being taken to Raigad. He shall be interrogated by the investigating officer and the further course of action will be decided accordingly,” Sanjay Mohite, IG Konkan Range said.

Republic TV in its report claimed that Goswami was “assaulted and dragged” during the arrest. Goswami reportedly said that Mumbai Police also physically assaulted his mother-in-law and father-in-law, son and wife.

Naik, a 53-year-old interior designer, and his mother Kumud Naik had died by suicide in May 2018. A suicide note purportedly written by Naik claimed that Goswami and two others owed him Rs 5.4 crore and had refused to pay it back, forcing him to take the extreme step.

The monetary transaction had taken place during the construction of Republic TV studio. When Naik’s mother learned about Naik’s death, she too killed herself.

Home Minister Amit Shah, Former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and many others prominent leaders of BJP along with the PMO office condemned the act under Maha Aghadi regime. 

The early morning arrest fueled a deluge of posts on social media, with members of the ruling BJP alleging ‘fascism’ by Maharashtra’s Shiv Sena-led coalition.

The Param Bir Singh-led Mumbai Police’s brazen attempt to strike on press freedom has been exposed through the multiple sessions of unnecessary interrogation sessions. Taking it a step further, in a never-seen-before move, the Param Bir Singh-led Mumbai Police filed an FIR against the entire editorial team of the Network, invoking a 1922 British Raj-era law that had last been used in the Emergency-era.