Arnab Goswami: Republic TV founder arrested in suicide case granted bail
- Published
Mr Goswami was detained last week and remanded to custody for 14 days
India's Supreme Court has granted bail to TV news anchor Arnab Goswami who was arrested in an abetment to suicide case last week.
He is being investigated over his alleged role in the death of Anvay Naik, an architect who designed his studio.
Mr Goswami and Republic TV network deny allegations that he owed money to Naik, who took his life in 2018.
Mr Goswami approached the top court after a lower court denied him bail.
A two-judge bench granted him interim bail after hearing his petition via video conference.
"We must send a message today to the high courts as well. Please exercise your jurisdiction to uphold personal liberty," Justice DY Chandrachud said.
He was referring to Mr Goswami's allegation that he was being targeted over his journalism.
Mr Goswami is a polarising figure whose contentious broadcasts have earned him loyal viewers as well as critics, many of whom accuse him of being sympathetic to right-wing politics in the country. His arrest has also divided opinion, with many alleging it was politically motivated.
In recent months, he has been particularly critical of Mumbai police over their handling of the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput. He often accused them of being lenient in their investigation into the star's death.
His criticism also often extended to the Maharashtra government, which is run by a coalition headed by the Shiv Sena party, a former regional ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
But the speed with which Mr Goswami's case was listed - the lower court had denied him bail just two days before - also appeared to raise eyebrows, prompting one lawyer to write to the court.
Senior advocate Dushyant Dave wrote that it was "deeply disturbing", external how Mr Goswami's petition was listed "instantly" when "thousands of citizens are languishing" in jail, waiting for their cases to be heard for "weeks and months".
What is the case against Mr Goswami?
After Mr Naik killed himself, his wife accused Mr Goswami of not paying his fee. She said her husband had left a suicide note in which he blamed Mr Goswami for his death.
She has been campaigning on social media for the case to be investigated thoroughly. Maharashtra state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh recently ordered a special team to look into the case.
Members of India's ruling BJP have protested against Mr Goswami's arrest
A police team arrested Mr Goswami from his home in Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra, on 4 November. Images showed scuffles taking place between Mr Goswami and the police.
Republic TV has accused the police of "manhandling" Mr Goswami's family members. But the police then accused Mr Goswami of misbehaving with them - they registered a police complaint against him, external for allegedly assaulting a female police officer.
The Editors Guild of India urged the authorities to "ensure that Goswami is treated fairly and state power is not used against critical reporting by the media".
A host of senior leaders and federal ministers belonging to the BJP have also criticised his arrest, saying it was "an attack on the media's freedom of expression".
But the main opposition Congress party, which is a coalition partner of the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, has accused the BJP of "selective outrage". The party said BJP ministers do not speak out when journalists are harassed and arrested by states where it's in power.
- Published8 August 2020
- Published28 August 2020
