Arnab Goswami moves SC after Bombay HC denies interim bail
Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court challenging the order of the Bombay High Court, which denied him interim relief in a 2018 abetment to suicide case. The application with the top court has reportedly been filed through Advocate-on-Record Nirnimesh Dube. On Monday, the Bombay HC refused to grant him interim bail in the said case. Here are more details.
Goswami challenges Bombay HC order
HC refused to grant relief to Goswami, two other accused
Dismissing Goswami's interim bail petition, on Monday, the Bombay High Court's division bench comprising Justices MS Karnik and SS Shinde stated, "No case was made out in the present matter for the high court to exercise its extraordinary jurisdiction." Apart from Goswami, the high court had also refused to grant interim relief to two other accused persons in the 2018 case.
Goswami can seek bail from lower court: HC
On Monday, the Bombay HC also asked Goswami to move a lower court for regular bail, rejecting his interim bail plea. It had noted that he has an alternative method of legal remedy to approach the concerned sessions court to seek bail.
Interim bail plea was filed in Bombay HC on Saturday
Goswami earlier filed an interim bail petition before the Bombay HC on Saturday, but the court had reserved its order on his plea. However, it had given him permission to approach a sessions court to file the application. Later, on Monday, the Republic TV Managing Director and Chief Editor filed a bail plea before a sessions court.
Plea challenging judicial remand to Goswami before sessions court
Separately, on Tuesday, a sessions court in Alibaug was also scheduled to hear a revision plea filed by the Maharashtra Police. The revision plea challenges the magistrate's order of judicial remand to Goswami instead of police custody. Notably, the Republic TV chief - who is currently lodged in Taloja Jail - had filed a bail application before the Alibaug sessions court on Monday.
Why was Goswami arrested?
On November 4, Goswami was arrested by the Maharashtra Police and sent to 14-day judicial custody. He was arrested in connection with a case registered for the suicide of architect-interior designer, Anvay Naik, and his mother, Kumud Naik. The mother-son duo had reportedly ended their lives in 2018 over the alleged non-payment of dues by the companies belonging to the accused in the case.
Non-payment of dues by accused allegedly drove Anvay to death
Anvay had reportedly alleged in a suicide note that apart from Goswami, Feroze Shaikh and Nitish Sarda - the other two accused in the 2018 case - had not cleared their dues to the tune of Rs. 5 crore. He also mentioned that the non-payment of dues by them had caused extreme financial distress, which drove him to death.
