New Delhi: In some relief to the Republic TV Chief Editor, Arnab Goswami was granted bail by the Supreme Court of India in connection with the abetment of suicide case of Anvay Naik.
The apex court overturned a ruling by the Bombay High Court, which had rejected the bail plea of Goswami on Monday. A vacation bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Indira Banerjee were hearing a plea by Goswami against the decision of the Bombay High Court.
Senior advocate Harish Salve appeared for Goswami, while senior advocate Kapil Sibal appeared for the Maharashtra government. Salve raised concerns about the deprivation of personal liberty in Goswami's case.
Salve repeatedly argued that the arrest of Goswami was illegal. He also said that in abetment of suicide case, the SC has held multiple times that the accused had to have the intention to instigate the person to take their life, which could not be seen in Goswami's case.
After hearing the matter from Goswami's lawyer, Justice Chandrachud, questioned Kapil Sibal about the basis of the case and observed that the courts couldn't stand by when personal liberty was threatened.
Justice Chandrachud also criticised the approach of Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government, saying that government must ignore what is on the TV, as this is not the basis on which elections are fought.
The SC granted bail to Goswami on the conditions that the accused should execute a personal bond for an amount of Rs. 50,000. It has further ordered that the accused should not try to tamper or influence any witnesses of the case.
Goswami and two others were arrested on November 4 on the charges of abetment to a suicide case of Anvay Naik and his mother. The deceased wrote on his suicide note that Arnab and the other two accused owed him an amount of Rs 5 crore, due to which he fell into debt and had to take his life away.
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