Page 10 - TIE 120420

NATION DECEMBER 04, 2020 | The Indian Eye 10

arnab goswami not out of trouble yet

as police files charge-sheet in suicide case

Anvay Naik and his mother Kumud committed suicide in 2018, allegedly because of
non-payment of dues by firms of Goswami and other two accused

Our Bureau of tampering of evidence or wit-
nesses. Taking these factors into
New Delhi consideration, the order dated

he Mumbai police on Fri- 11 November 2020 envisaged the
day filed a charge-sheet release of the appellants on bail,”
Tagainst Republic TV edi- the top court recently said.
tor-in-chief Arnab Goswami and More than two years after
two others in a 2018 abetment of he ended his life owing to fi-
suicide case. The charge sheet nancial stress, handwriting and
was filed before a court in Alibaug documentation experts have
in neighboring Raigad district, confirmed that a one-page note
where the case for alleged abet- found in the Alibaug bungalow
ment of suicide of interior de- of interior designer Anvay Naik
signer Anvay Naik and his moth- was indeed written by him.
er Kumud has been registered. Raigad police is also look-
Besides Goswami, the other ing at using the suicide note as
two accused named in the charge a dying declaration by Naik to
sheet are Firoze Sheikh and Ni- strengthen the case against Re-
tish Sarda, said special public Arnab Goswami arrives at Alibaug court after his recent arrest (ANi) public TV editor Arnab Goswa-
prosecutor Pradeep Gharat. As mi, who is accused of suicide
many as 65 persons are named abetment.
as witnesses, he added. the supreme Court has Home minister Anil
Incidentally, Goswami had observed that prima fa- Deshmukh also confirmed that
moved the Bombay High Court cie evaluation of the Fir his government has received a
on Thursday seeking a stay to report from experts stating that
the filing of charge sheet, but against journalist arnab the suicide note was written by
the petition is yet to be heard. goswami and two others Naik who died on May 5, 2018.
Goswami, Sheikh and Sarda “Forensic opinion has also been
were arrested by Alibaug police the wife and daughter of Anvay did not establish the in- given to say he did not sign this
on November 4 in the case, but Naik speak to the media gredients of the offence suicide note under pressure,”
they got bail from the Supreme of abetment to suicide. said Deshmukh.
Court on November 11. has also urged the high court to The report was submitted to
Anvay Naik and his moth- transfer the investigation to CBI the apex court has also the state on November 4. Along
er Kumud committed suicide or any other independent agency. extended the interim bail with Naik, the body of his moth-
in 2018, allegedly because of The matter will be heard be- er, Kumud too, was found in the
non-payment of dues by firms of fore the Bombay high court on granted to goswami. same bungalow. He had strangu-
Goswami and other two accused. December 10. lated her before killing himself.
The case, closed for want of Goswami was arrested on the exercise of the power when a Naik had carried out work
evidence in 2019, was reopened November 4 on charges of citizen has been “arbitrarily de- for firms promoted by Goswa-
in May this year, with Goswami abetting the suicide of interior prived of their personal liberty in mi. The Naik family’s contention
alleging that the Maharashtra designer Anvay Naik and his an excess of state power”. was that Goswami’s firm owed
government was pursuing a ven- mother in 2018. He was granted “In this batch of cases, a pri- him Rs 83 lakh. Two others – Ni-
detta against him for his work as interim bail on November 11. ma facie evaluation of the FIR tesh Sarda of Smartworks and
a TV journalist. Maharashtra home minister does not establish the ingredi- Feroz Shaikh of IcastX/Skime-
On Thursday, Republic TV Anil Deshmukh has recently said ents of the offence of abetment dia too had allegedly failed to
editor Arnab Goswami has a charge sheet will be filed soon of suicide under Section 306 of settle bills. Naik allegedly died
moved the Bombay high court in the case. the IPC. The appellants are res- by suicide in his own bungalow
seeking a stay on the ongoing A bench of justices D Y idents of India and do not pose in Alibaug owing to mounting
investigation by the Mumbai Chandrachud and Indira Ba- a flight risk during the investiga- debt incurred by his firm. After
Police into Anvay Naik’s sui- nerjee said that the high court tion or the trial. the incident, an offence was reg-
cide case in 2018. The journalist should not foreclose itself from “There is no apprehension istered against the trio.

www.TheIndianEYE .us