Court has rejected the request for Arnab Goswami's police custody

Arnab Goswami, the chief of Republic TV, has been remanded in judicial custody

Arnab Goswami the controversial Indian news anchor also the managing director and editor-in-chief of Republic Media Network has been denied the request for police custody by the court. After quitting Times Now as editor-in-chief on November 1 2016 Arnab Goswami cited editorial differences and newsroom politics in the environment he had been working in as the main reason he had quit Times Now.

Arnab Goswami was arrested on 4th November 2020 for allegedly abetting architect's suicide. This has become a staggering case where the country's increasingly fraught and politicized media environment has come to light. It has been filed that Arnab Goswami had an active role in the unfortunate death of Anvay Naik, who has committed suicide in 2018. Arnab Goswami was arrested in accordance to the Indian penal code which carries a 10 year prison sentence.

The magistrate court in Alibag, Maharastra, has recorded reasons for rejecting the request for police custody for Arnab Goswami. The court has remanded Arnab Goswami in judicial custody for 14 days. Arnab Goswami has also been accused of not returning money which he owed to Anvay Malik. Arnab Goswami is said to have not paid a sum of 83 Lakhs rupees which was for the Bombay Dyeing Studio Project.

Mr. Goswami was also accused of having tried to evade arrest and not co operating with them by the prosecution. The advocate representing Arnab Goswami, Senior Advocate Aabad Ponda has appeared through a video conference and had told the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) that no notice was issued and he also submitted a report citing that it is illegal to arrest Mr. Goswami as he is willing to pay the money.

Repubic TV has been outright and unafraid to address anything wrong in the system and openly questions the government officials if something has been done in a wrongful manner. Is the arrest of Arnab Goswami an attack on the freedom of the press?