Republic TV editor Arnab Goswami has been arrested in connection with the death of an interior designer and his mother in Alibaug in 2018.
Arnab was arrested in a joint operation by Raigad Police and Mumbai Police. A team consisting of API Sachin Waze picked up Arnab from his residence in Worli.
Anvay Naik, a 53-year-old interior designer, and his mother Kumud Naik had died by suicide in May 2018. A suicide note purportedly written by Anvay claimed Arnab and two others owed him Rs 5.4 crore and had refused to pay it back, forcing him to take the extreme step.
The monetary transaction had taken place during the construction of Republic TV studio. Anvay’s mother also killed herself after learning about his death.
Alibaug police had registered a case of abetment to suicide the same month but the case was reportedly closed by Raigad Police in 2019.
However, in May this year the Maharashtra government ordered a fresh investigation into the case against Arnab and two others by the state Criminal Investigation Department.
High drama followed Arnab’s arrest. The police claimed he and his wife took over an hour to open the door, while Arnab claimed he was manhandled and assaulted by the police before being pushed into their van.
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar, condemning what he called an attack on press freedom in Maharashtra, said the arrest “reminds us of the Emergency”.
The arrest comes in the middle of Arnab’s row with the Mumbai Police over its investigations into a TRP scam and allegations that Republic TV is among the three channels involved in manipulating TRPs by bribing households metered for viewership.
He has accused the police of harassing him over his channel’s criticism of their handling of Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case.
Arnab has been taken to Alibaug after the arrest.
Arnab was arrested in a joint operation by Raigad Police and Mumbai Police. A team consisting of API Sachin Waze picked up Arnab from his residence in Worli.
Anvay Naik, a 53-year-old interior designer, and his mother Kumud Naik had died by suicide in May 2018. A suicide note purportedly written by Anvay claimed Arnab and two others owed him Rs 5.4 crore and had refused to pay it back, forcing him to take the extreme step.
The monetary transaction had taken place during the construction of Republic TV studio. Anvay’s mother also killed herself after learning about his death.
Alibaug police had registered a case of abetment to suicide the same month but the case was reportedly closed by Raigad Police in 2019.
However, in May this year the Maharashtra government ordered a fresh investigation into the case against Arnab and two others by the state Criminal Investigation Department.
High drama followed Arnab’s arrest. The police claimed he and his wife took over an hour to open the door, while Arnab claimed he was manhandled and assaulted by the police before being pushed into their van.
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar, condemning what he called an attack on press freedom in Maharashtra, said the arrest “reminds us of the Emergency”.
The arrest comes in the middle of Arnab’s row with the Mumbai Police over its investigations into a TRP scam and allegations that Republic TV is among the three channels involved in manipulating TRPs by bribing households metered for viewership.
He has accused the police of harassing him over his channel’s criticism of their handling of Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case.
Arnab has been taken to Alibaug after the arrest.
