Mumbai Police registers fresh FIR against Arnab Goswami, chief of Republic TV

Mumbai: Within hours of having arrested Arnab Goswami, Editor-in-Chief of Republic TV on charges of abetting a suicide in 2018, Mumbai Police registered a fresh FIR against him Wednesday evening. The FIR was for resisting Mumbai Police officials from arresting him when they were at his Mumbai residence in the morning today.

Sections 353, 504, 506 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) were invoked in the new FIR.

Goswami was arrested for allegedly abetting the suicide of Anvay Naik, a designer who killed himself in 2018. His mother, Kumud Naik too was found dead in their Alibaugh bungalow. According to the suicide note left behind by Anvay, he and his mother decided to take their lives as they were under tremendous financial stress due to huge debts as Goswami and two others identified as Feroz Shaikh and Nitesh Sarda -- owners of two different firms, had failed to clear outstanding dues of Rs 5.40 crore to Naik.

Goswami was produced before a court in Mumbai where his lawyer claimed that the journalist was assaulted by two police officials at his residence. He further added that Goswami's family members were manhandled and the house was sealed off for three hours. The arrest has been condemned by many central ministers including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and several top ministers of the northeastern states too have condemned the arrest of the senior journalst.

Maharashtra's BJP workers have taken an oath to wear black clothes and badges until Goswami's release.

Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena dismissed allegations of 'politics of revenge' and 'muzzling of the press freedom'. Sanjay Raut, Sena's leader told reporters that Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of the Sena, NCP and Congress never acts in such vindictive manners against anybody.

Raut also claimed that the state government or any political party has no role to play in Goswami's arrest.

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