After Raigad Court Sends Arnab Goswami To 14-Day Judicial Custody, Bombay HC To Hear His Plea Today

The Bombay high court will hear today (5 November) the plea of Republic TV editor-in-chief and senior journalist Arnab Goswami to quash the FIR filed against him in the 2018 abetment to suicide case.

According to the Republic TV, the Bombay HC is set to hear the plea by Arnab Goswami at 3 pm on Thursday (5 November).

In his petition, Goswami has challenged his "illegal arrest" and sought an urgent order of stay in the investigation into the case and also a direction to the police to release him immediately, reports Outlook.

Seeking the quashing of FIR against the senior journalist, the plea alleged that Goswami was assaulted by the police team that barged into his house on Wednesday.

"He has been wrongly and illegally arrested in a motivated, false and closed case. This is another attempt of political witch-hunt and vendetta politics against the petitioner and his channel," the petition said.

"The arrest was conducted in blatant violation of the fundamental rights to life and personal liberty of the petitioner (Goswami) and his dignity. The petitioner and his son were assaulted and dragged into the police van when Goswami was arrested," it added.

As per the plea, the investigation into the case was closed last year and a closure report was filed which was accepted by Chief Judicial Magistrate of the Alibaug court by an order dated 16 April 2019.

He, along with two others, were later in the day produced in a court in Maharashtra's Raigad district.

The Raigad Magistrate remanded Goswami and two others to 14 days' judicial custody after a marathon five-hour hearing late on Wednesday night.

The Chief Judicial Magistrate rejected the prosecution's plea for 14 days' police custody for Goswami in the case concerning the twin suicides of architect Anvay Naik and his mother Kumud Naik on 5 May 2018.

"The police have lost...," Goswami shouted out of a police van and displayed the V-sign after the court hearing.

His team is expected to move the same court for bail on Thursday (5 November).

(With inputs from IANS)