MUMBAI: Republic TV editor
Arnab Goswami on Wednesday filed a petition in
the Bombay HC
to challenge his “illegal arrest” by Mumbai police on November 4. He sought directions from the court to have an FIR against him for
abetment
of suicide quashed. Goswami also sought urgent orders to stay the probe into the two-yearold abetment to suicide case which has been reopened. He urged that no coercive steps be taken against him and employees of his channel in connection with the matter.
The HC has fixed the matter for a hearing at 3pm on Thursday. The FIR against him is dated May 5, 2018, and registered at Alibaug police station, Raigad, under Sections 306 and 34 (common intention) of the IPC. Detailing the circumstances of his arrest, the petition says the action “was preceded by the Mumbai police encircling his house by vehicles in the early hours of 4 November”.
The arrest was in violation of fundamental rights to life, personal liberty and dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution, it said. The petitioner and his son were assaulted and dragged into a police vehicle, it said. “It is shocking that a case that was decisively closed has been reopened with the sole purpose of misusing power, concocting facts and forcefully arresting the petitioner in a prima facie act of revenge and vengeance for his news coverage which questioned those in power in the state of
Maharashtra,’’ the petition said.
Senior counsel Mahesh Jethmalani at around 5 pm sought an urgent hearing before bench of Justices S S Shinde and MS Karnik.
The petition said ARG Outlier paid over Rs 5 crore-- over 90 percent of amounts due to Naik’s company Concorde Designs. It said it was never his intention to avoid paying the rest which was “transferred in July 2019 to Concorde’s bank account but was returned as the account was inoperative.’’
In April 2019, ARG said it would pay Rs 39 lakh since it had to spend on “independent contractors” for some work. In July 2019, Naik’s “wife” Akshata said Rs 88 lakh was due, which ARG refuted.
Goswami said he “no direct interaction” with Naik and nor “any intention to instigate or aid’’ the suicide.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.Swati Deshpande is Senior editor at The Times of India, Mumbai, w...
Read MoreSwati Deshpande is Senior editor at The Times of India, Mumbai, where she has been covering courts for over a decade. She is passionate about law and works towards enlightening people about their statutory, legal and fundamental rights. She makes it her job to decipher for the public the truth, be it in an intricate civil dispute or in a gruesome criminal case.
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