Republic TV Editor-in Chief Arnab Goswami has petitioned the Bombay High Court challenging his "illegal arrest" in a 2018 case of abetment of suicide of an interior designer, and sought quashing of the FIR lodged against him by Alibaug police in Maharashtra.
A division bench of Justices S S Shinde and M S Karnik will hear the plea on Thursday afternoon. Goswami was arrested on Wednesday from his residence at Lower Parel in Mumbai for allegedly abetting the suicide of interior designer Anvay Naik, and was taken to the Alibaug police station in neighbouring Raigad district. He was later produced before a magistrate's court in Alibaug which remanded him in judicial custody till November 18.
Goswami is currently kept at a local school which has been designated as a Covid-19 centre for the Alibaug prison.
In his petition, Goswami has challenged his "illegal arrest" and sought an urgent order of stay in the investigation into the case and also a direction to the police to release him immediately. The plea has also sought the FIR against him to be quashed.
It alleged that Goswami was assaulted by the police team that barged into his house on Wednesday.
"He has been wrongly and illegally arrested in a motivated, false and closed case. This is another attempt of political witch-hunt and vendetta politics against the petitioner and his channel," the petition said.
"The arrest was conducted in blatant violation of the fundamental rights to life and personal liberty of the petitioner (Goswami) and his dignity. The petitioner and his son were assaulted and dragged into the police van when Goswami was arrested," it added.
As per the plea, the investigation into the case was closed last year and a closure report was filed which was accepted by Chief Judicial Magistrate of the Alibaug court by an order dated April 16, 2019. -- PTI
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