There are many people who do not like Arnab Goswami as a journalist. But the manner in which he had been arrested should be termed unacceptable.
Republic TV MD Arnab Goswami is a known face to all those who follow national television. He has a unique skill in moderating debates with his loud, arrogant and brash behaviour and takes on political rivals as if he has a personal feud with them. Such a journalist who grabbed the eyeballs of millions has been arrested today.
He has been alleged to have abetted the suicide of an interior designer and his mother. The suicide took place in 2018. Anvay Naik, an architect and the MD of Concorde Designs Pvt Ltd committed suicide along with his mother. In the course of the investigation, it was revealed that Arnab’s firm had to pay Rs 83 lakhs to Naik, including two other firms IcastX / Skimedia and Smartworks owned by Feroz Shaikh and Niteish Sarda respectively owed him ₹5.40 crores.
Since Anvay Naik didn’t receive the amount he resorted to the extreme step and this led to the arrest of Arnab Goswami, Feroz Shaikh and Niteish Sarda. A special team of Mumbai and Raigad Police had arrested the trio.
Was physically assaulted: Arnab
Police teams reached Arnab’s Mumbai residence in the early hours of Wednesday, arrested him and took him in a van. However, Arnab was heard shouting from the police vehicle to the media gathered at the premises that he was physically assaulted and was not even allowed to have a glass of water.
Reminds of Emergency: BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party strongly condemned the arrest of Arnab Goswami with several leaders lambasting the Maha Vikas Aghadi over the developments. Though the Lotus Party has been widely accused of assaulting, torturing and killing journalists, in the case of Arnab Goswami they happen to be a bit worried. As long as the BJP ‘owns’ Goswami the issue will definitely be politicised. Some of the BJP leaders even went on to say that the developments reminded them of Emergency days. However, the Maharashtra Government made it clear that the arrest has been made as per law and has denied allegations of vendetta.
2018 suicide case
Anvay Naik (53), and his mother had committed suicide in 2018. Allegations are that Arnab Goswami and two others failed to pay the huge sum owed to Naik, which led to the latter’s financial constraints, and that pressurised him to commit suicide. Speculations are that the issue happed in 2018 during the BJP regime and the matter was hushed.
Finally, no one is above the law even if it is a journalist. But as Arnab claims if the police did not even let him drink water, then the manner in which police behaved is truly unacceptable.
