Big shock to Arnab Goswami, Bombay High Court refuses to grant bail

Republic TV editor Arnab Goswami will still have to remain in jail. On Monday, he received a major setback from the Bombay High Court. The court has denied bail to Arnab Goswami, who was arrested in the suicide case of interior designer Anvay Naik and his mother Kumud Naik. Apart from Arnab, two other accused had filed interim bail pleas. Arnab was arrested by the Raigad police on 4 November.

A bench of Justices SS Shinde and MS Karnik reserved the verdict on Saturday after a day-long hearing on the petitions without giving any immediate relief. Goswami and two other accused, Feroz Sheikh and Nitish Sarada, challenged their 'illegal arrest' and appealed for release on interim bail.

Before the court order, former state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has appealed to the court to take Suo moto cognizance of how the Maharashtra government has treated Arnab during his arrest and detention. On the other hand, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has spoken to the state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and expressed concern about Arnab Goswami's health and safety. He also asked the Home Minister to allow his family to meet.

The court said on Saturday that the petitioners are not barred from going to the concerned lower court for regular bail till the matter is pending. The court had said that if such petitions are filed, then the sessions court should decide on hearing them within four days of filing the petition.

Alibag police of Raigad district of Maharashtra arrested three people, including Goswami, on November 4 in connection with the suicide of architect and interior designer Anvay Naik and his mother in 2018. Both had allegedly committed suicide over non-payment of dues by the companies of the accused.

Goswami was taken to Alibaug after he was arrested from his lower Parel residence in Mumbai, where the Chief Judicial Magistrate remanded him and two other accused to judicial custody till 18 November. Goswami was housed in the local school, which is the Covid-19 center of Alibaug jail. On Sunday, he was shifted from here to Taloja Jail in Raigad district of Maharashtra.