Arnab Stays In Jail; No Interim Relief From Bombay High Court

NAGPUR, Maharashtra — A division bench of Bombay High Court on Monday declined to grant interim bail to Republic TV's Editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami.

Goswami is serving out 14 days of judicial remand after he was arrested by the Maharashtra police on Nov 4 in connection with the death by suicide of interior designer Anvay Naik in 2018.

In his suicide note, Naik said he was killing himself because Goswami and two others had not paid him for his professional services. The Maharashtra police had closed the case in 2019, saying they found no evidence directly linking Goswami to the suicide, but reopened the case earlier this year after Naik's family appealed to the Maharashtra government.

Last week, the division bench of justices S.S. Shinde and M.S Karnik had reserved its order on an interim bail application filed by Goswami and had observed that everyone would come to High Court if the remedy was granted in this case. But the court made it clear that its order was only related to the interim bail application moved by Goswami and that he can seek remedies in lower courts.

“Observations are prima facie in nature only for the purpose of deciding the interim application and will not apply to the application made by Arnab Goswami seeking regular bail,” Presiding judge justice Shinde observed.

The High Court again reiterated that Goswami can move to a lower court and such court should decide on his application within four days.

Goswami had filed a revision application in a sessions court in Raigad district of Maharashtra last week against the order of Alibag Chief Judicial Magistrate’s order of sending him on Judicial remand but the session court had adjourned the matter till Monday.

An hour before the High Court was to pronounce order on hi interim bail plea, Goswami had moved a regular bail plea in the Raigad sessions court.

Earliar today, Maharastra governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari called up Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh and expressed concerns about the security and health of Goswami. Koshiyari also asked Deshmukh to allow Goswami’s family members to meet him.

Goswami is currently lodged in Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai.