Arnab Goswami ‘cop assault’ case: Sessions court to hear anticipatory bail pleas today

A Mumbai sessions court will on Tuesday hear pre-arrest bail pleas filed by senior journalist Arnab Goswami and his wife Samyabrata Ray for allegedly assaulting a woman police officer in a criminal case registered against the couple by the Mumbai police.

The police had registered an FIR against Republic TV editor-in-chief Goswami, his wife and their son at the NM Joshi Marg police station. The alleged “assault” took place on the morning of November 4 when a police team went to Goswami’s house to arrest him in connection with an alleged 2018 abetment to suicide case. At present, only Goswami and Ray have filed anticipatory bail pleas. They have been booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 353 (assault to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) and under the Damage to Public Property Act.

On November 12, a day after Goswami was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court, the sessions court haf adjourned bail plea hearing to November 23, which was further adjourned to December 1.

The case pertains to alleged death by suicide of interior designer Anvay Naik and his mother Kumud Naik in May 2018. In his suicide note, Naik had accused Goswami and two others of not paying his dues collectively amounting to Rs 5.40 crore. While the case was closed last year, it was reopened earlier this year after Naik’s daughter approached Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh.

It was in connection with this case Arnab was arrested last month and taken to a municipal school in Alibaug where he was kept in judicial custody. He was later shifted to Taloja prison in Raigad district for allegedly using a mobile phone while in custody.

(With agency inputs)