Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami was on Wednesday detained by the Mumbai Police in connection with a 2018 abetment to suicide case, marking yet another turn in his ongoing face-off with the force, as well as the Maharashtra government.
Also Read: Republic TV editor Arnab Goswami detained in 2018 suicide abetment case
Goswami, after being assaulted by the Mumbai Police, as alleged by the Republic TV, has been detained under section 306 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which pertains to abetment to suicide. The channel has also accused the police of assaulting his family, including his son.
Here’s all you need to know about the 2018 abetment to suicide case:
1. In May 2018, almost a year after Republic TV was launched, a 53-year-old interior designer, Anvay Naik, and his mother, committed suicide. In his suicide note, Naik alleged he was being forced to take this step as he was not paid dues collectively amounting to ₹5.40 crore by Goswami and two others.
2. Naik was the managing director of Concorde Designs Private Limited, which rendered services for Republic TV. After Naik and his mother’s suicide, Alibaug Police booked Goswami, Feroz Shaikh and Neetish Sarda for allegedly abetting their suicide.
{{/usCountry}}2. Naik was the managing director of Concorde Designs Private Limited, which rendered services for Republic TV. After Naik and his mother’s suicide, Alibaug Police booked Goswami, Feroz Shaikh and Neetish Sarda for allegedly abetting their suicide.
{{/usCountry}}3. While Shaikh is from IcastX/Skimedia, a media services firm, Sarda is the founder of Smart Work. As per an FIR registered by the Alibaug Police, Shaikh didn’t pay ₹4 crore while Sarda owed Naik ₹55 lakh.
4. Meanwhile, ARG Outlier Media, which owns Republic TV, did not pay Naik ₹83 lakh, the FIR further alleged.
5. The case was closed by Raigad Police last year. However, in May, Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh ordered a re-investigation on the basis of a fresh complaint by Naik’s daughter, Adnya.
6. The Maharashtra unit of the Congress, one of the three ruling parties in the state, had also put out a video of Naik’s wife, in which she reiterated the allegation against Goswami, which had led to an FIR being registered against him.
7. Responding to the reopening of the case, Republic TV had put out a statement, hitting out at the Congress and accusing it of indulging in a “larger vindictive exercise against Republic Media Network.” The channel further claimed 90% dues had been paid to Naik and it had evidence to prove it had made repeated attempts to make a final settlement.
8. Goswami and the Maharashtra government have been at loggerheads over a host of issues in recent days. Republic TV has been particularly critical of the state police’s handling of the Palghar lynching case, the Sushant Singh Rajput death case and was recently accused by the force of being involved in a ‘TRP scam.’