Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami has been arrested by Mumbai Police early morning on Wednesday, reports Republic TV. The witch-hunt against Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami by the Mumbai Police continued on Wednesday after a few Mumbai Police officers reached the Goswami’s residence and physically manhandled him.
As per reports, Arnab is arrested in a 2018 abetment to suicide case that was already closed.
In May 2018, an FIR was filed against Arnab Goswami in an alleged abetment to suicide case. An Interior Designer had committed suicide in his bungalow in Alibaug. In a suicide note, Anvay Naik claimed Goswami and the other two persons—Feroz Shaikh and Niteish Sarda—owed him a total of Rs 5.4 crore. The Times of India had then reported Arnab Goswami had allegedly not paid Rs 83 lakh for a design project of a studio. However, Goswami was investigated and case was closed by court after a closure report was filed by the Police. You could read about the case in detail here.
On Wednesday, a team of Mumbai Police reached the residence of Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami and physically dragged him. He was reportedly physically assaulted and grabbed by the hair.
#BREAKING | Mumbai Police at Arnab Goswami’s residence amid witch-hunt against Republic Media Network; Tune in for #LIVE updates #ArnabGoswami #Republic https://t.co/rGQJsiKgt2 pic.twitter.com/htDkzXyprc
— Republic (@republic) November 4, 2020
After assaulting him, the Mumbai Police detained Arnab Goswami and reportedly dragged him to the Raigad police station for questioning him.
#IndiaWithArnab | Arnab Goswami physically manhandled by Mumbai Police team inside his residence on #LIVE TV https://t.co/jghcajZuXf pic.twitter.com/foTqOpsOE4
— Republic (@republic) November 4, 2020
In a shocking act, Arnab Goswami was physically manhandled by Mumbai Police team inside his residence.
A large contingent of Mumbai Police was seen present at Goswami’s residence on Wednesday morning. In the below video, it can be seen how officials of the Mumbai Police were manhandling the Republic TV chief.
#BREAKING | Arnab Goswami physically manhandled by Mumbai Police team inside his residence on #LIVE TV https://t.co/jghcajZuXf pic.twitter.com/hUOldx7P4y
— Republic (@republic) November 4, 2020
Reportedly, the Mumbai Police has not produced any documents, summons or court papers as they reached Arnab Goswami’s residence as they tried to arrest him. The Mumbai Police team also blocked Republic Media Network’s reporters from entering Arnab’s residence and have sealed all entry and exit points.
The raid against Arnab Goswami’s residence incidentally comes just a day after the Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh had called Arnab ‘the biggest hawala’ operator in the city of Mumbai.
Continued attack against Arnab Goswami’s Republic TV by Mumbai Police
Earlier, amidst the continued attacks carried out by the Mumbai police against the news network on the behest of the Maharashtra government, Mumbai Police chief Singh had accused the channel of being the biggest hawala operator in the city of Mumbai.s
However, Arnab Goswami had hit back at the Mumbai Police Commissioner for calling him the biggest Hawala operator in Mumbai. Highlighting how the Mumbai Police failed to prove charges against him, Arnab Goswami had said that Mumbai Police were desperate to find dirt on the news channel.
“According to the Mumbai Police, I carried out hawala operations in 2017 for my Hindi channel Republic Bharat. Firstly, Republic Bharat did not exist in 2017. It was launched in 2019. Secondly, this charge proves that despite having all my accounts and ledgers, the Mumbai Police has been unable to prove a single rupee paid by Republic Media Network for TRP manipulation,” he had emphasised.
Mumbai Police demands access to Republic TV
Just a few days back, in a brazen abuse of power, the Mumbai Police-led by Param Bir Singh had intensified its attack on Republic and its journalists, after they had demanded editorial access of the news channel. The Mumbai police seemingly had sought details of all the journalists working in the newsroom.
The Mumbai Police had sent a notice asking details of Republic TV reporters, including addresses of the technicians of Republic TV, IDs and passwords of newsroom software, roster details of its journalists, and had given a time period of two days to furnish this, in a shameful trespass of free speech.