Editor of Indian news channel Republic TV Arnab Goswami has been arrested from his Mumbai residence on Wednesday morning by the Maharashtra police in connection with a 2018 suicide abetment case. The case is related to the deaths of interior designer Anvay Naik and his mother Kumud Naik, The Wire reported.
After Anvay and Kumud died by suicide in Alibaug in 2018, a suicide note was found in which Anvay alleged that Goswami and two others had not paid him IRs 54 million, creating serious financial difficulties for him. The Alibaug police had registered a case then, but it was closed in 2019 by the Raigad police, the Hindustan Times reported. A fresh probe was launched by Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh in March, after Anvay’s daughter Adnya Naik approached him.
Adnya and her mother, Akshata Naik, have also been running a social media campaign asking for justice in the case.
Republic TV, while reporting live on Goswami’s detention, alleged that the anchor had been “assaulted” and began a Twitter hashtag in his support. However, no footage of the alleged assault was shared by the channel.
In a statement made to Mirror Now, Joint Commissioner of the Mumbai police Milind Bharambe said that the operation was conducted by the Raigad police, with the Mumbai police assisting. Goswami will be taken to Raigad, he said.
BJP leaders have taken to the social media to express support for Goswami accusing the Maharashtra Police of abusing its power.
Goswami’s arrest comes at a time when his channel, Republic TV, is also being probed by the Maharashtra Police in an alleged TRP scam case.
What constitutes abetment?
In January 2010, the Supreme Court of India had held that for a case of abetment to be made out, there must be mens rea or intention – so the accused must have intended for the person to die by suicide. Given that, a suicide note is not enough to file abetment charges, several legal experts have held.
“The Supreme Court, in several rulings on abetment of suicide cases, has held that there must be a clear case of instigation by direct or indirect acts. The deceased may have blamed someone but that doesn’t constitute abetment. Here, his intention is the key,” advocate Aabad Ponda told the Times of India with respect to a different case. “It is not as innocuous as it seems. The test is to see whether the instigation, if any, is such that it can drive a prudent person to commit suicide, or if the note is left by an emotionally troubled mind.”
