The Mumbai Police has filed a charge-sheet against Arnab Goswami in the Anvay Naik suicide case even after the Supreme Court made it clear that a case could not be made out in the matter. The Supreme Court had observed earlier that prima facie, no case had been made out against the Republic TV Editor-in-Chief in the suicide case.
The charge sheet was allegedly filed before the Alibaug Court by Pradeep Patil who, Republic claims, is the same person who assaulted Arnab Goswami when he was in custody. The charge sheet comes within hours of Republic TV filing 2 applications before the Bombay High Court stating that the Home Minister of Maharashtra, Anil Deshmukh, had asserted that a charge sheet will be filed in the suicide case.
In a big relief to Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami, the Supreme Court on Friday (November 27) said that prima facie evaluation of FIR lodged by Maharashtra police does not establish the abetment of suicide charge against him in the 2018 Anvay Naik suicide case.
On Friday (November 27), a Supreme Court bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Indira Banerjee pronounced their judgement giving detailed reasons for the interim bail to the Republic TV Editor on November 11 in the 2018 Anvay Naik suicide case.
The apex Court said, “It cannot be said that appellants had abetted the suicide of the head of the architectural firm…High Court said the justification to quash has to be exercised carefully. If the High Court was carrying a prima facie evaluation, then it could not have seen that there was no nexus between FIR and Section 306 IPC…”
Supreme Court had granted bail to Arnab Goswami on Nov 11
On November 11, the Supreme Court had ordered the immediate release of Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami after it granted interim bail in connection with the suicide case filed against them by the Maharashtra government.
A Supreme Court bench comprising of Justice Chandrachud and Justice Indu Malhotra, hearing the petition, said that Bombay High Court made an error in rejecting the application for grant of interim bail on technical grounds. Granting the bail to Arnab Goswami, the apex court also directed the Raigad police to ensure the compliance of the order of release of Arnab Goswami forthwith.
The Supreme Court also asked Arnab Goswami and two other accused to execute a personal bond for an amount of Rs 50,000 for release on interim bail.
Arnab Goswami was arrested on November 4 after Maharashtra government had reopened a 2018 abatement of the suicide case of an architect, Anvay Naik. In his suicide note, the architect has blamed a few people, including Arnab Goswami, for not paying dues. Later, the court had closed the case after the Raigad police filed a closure report, but it was reopened in May 2020 by the Maharashtra government.
