"Shades Of Emergency": Ministers On Journalist Arnab Goswami's Arrest
"We condemn the attack on press freedom in #Maharashtra. This is not the way to treat the Press. This reminds us of the emergency days when the press was treated like this," Prakash Javadekar tweeted.
Republic TV's Arnab Goswami has been arrested in a two-year-old suicide case in which investigations were reopened recently, the Mumbai police said today. Union Minister Prakash Javadekar, condemning what he called an attack on press freedom in Maharashtra, said the arrest "reminds us of the Emergency".
"We condemn the attack on press freedom in Maharashtra. This is not the way to treat the Press. This reminds us of the emergency days when the press was treated like this," Prakash Javadekar tweeted as reports emerged of Arnab Goswami's arrest.
The Republic Editor-in-Chief has been arrested for allegedly abetting the suicide of a 53-year-old interior designer, Anvay Naik, and his mother, in 2018.
We condemn the attack on press freedom in #Maharashtra. This is not the way to treat the Press. This reminds us of the emergency days when the press was treated like this.
Mr Goswami was arrested from his home in Mumbai this morning. He claimed that he was manhandled and assaulted by the police before being pushed into their van.
Foreign Minister Dr S Jaishankar said Mr Goswami's arrest has "shades of the Emergency".
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
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 were seen holding the Editor as they were attempting to take him away.
The architect had reportedly named Arnab Goswami in a suicide note and alleged non-payment of dues by Republic TV. In May, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had announced that the suicide of architect Anvay Naik was being reinvestigated after a fresh complaint by Adnya Naik, his daughter.
Mr Deshmukh had said Adnya alleged that the Alibaug police had not investigated Republic's role in the non-payment of dues, which, she claimed, drove her father and grandmother to suicide in May 2018.
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 among three channels involved in manipulating TRPs or Television Rating Points by bribing households metred for viewership. The editor had accused the police of harassing his journalists with summons 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 any agenda behind the arrest. "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.
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.
Those in the free press who don't stand up today in support of Arnab, you are now tactically in support of fascism. You may not like him, you may not approve of him,you may despise his very existence but if you stay silent you support suppression. Who speaks if you are next ?
Arrest of Arnab Goswami is a move to throttle nationalist voice in media.Congress Emergency mindset is still there.#ArnabGoswami@Republic_Bharat@republic
Mr Goswami was taken to Alibaug after his arrest, the police said.
(With inputs from PTI)
Arnab Goswami arrested: Know all about the suicide case in which he has been arrested
Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami was arrested by Raigad Police on Wednesday (November 4). Arnab has been arrested for allegedly abetting suicide of a 53-year-old interior designer. A police official said that an architect and his mother committed suicide in 2018 over alleged non-payment of dues by Republic TV.
Interior designer Anvay Naik, along with his mother Kumud Naik, had committed suicide at their bungalow in Alibaug in May 2018. Raigad police had recovered a suicide note after this incident which was believed to be written by Anvay. In the suicide note, it was written that by Anvay that Arnab Goswami, Feroz Shaikh of IcastX/Skimedia and Niteish Sarda of Smartworks had not paid her Rs 5.40 crore which caused severe financial troubles for her. It is learnt that Raigad police has arrested Shaikh and Sarda too.
Anvay was found hanging on the first floor, while Kumud’s body was found by the police on the ground floor. During the probe in this case, it was found by police that Anvay was in heavy debt and was finding it very tough to repay money to contractors.
Interestingly, Raigad police that has been probing the case had closed it in April 2019 saying that they failed to find any credible evidence against Arnab and other two persons named in the suicide note.
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