SunstarTV Bureau: The apex court has granted interim bail to Republic TV’s Arnab Goswami and other two, Nitish Sarda and Parveen Rajesh Singh, on personal bond of Rs 50,000 each, in relation with an abetment to suicide case of 2018.
Three were arrested last week in connection with the suicide of architect Anvay Naik and his mother. The case was reopened after Anvay’s daughter Adnya Naik urged to Mumbai police.
A two-judge bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Indira Banerjee pulled up the Maharashtra government over the TV anchor’s arrest as they heard the petition through a video conferencing.
“If we as a constitutional court do not lay down law and protect liberty, then who will,” the Supreme Court said during the hearing.
“The victim is entitled to recourse as in proper and fair probe,” the judges ruled.
The Supreme Court said Arnab Goswami must cooperate with the probe. The hearing comes two days after the Bombay High Court turned down Mr Goswami’s plea against his arrest and the reopening of the case. The High Court said the journalist could take his bail request go to the lower court, which had to decide within four days.
The Apex Court had said some piercing words to the Maharashtra government over the TV anchor’s arrest last Wednesday. It said “If tomorrow, a person commits suicide in Maharashtra and blames the government, then will the Chief Minister be arrested?”
According to the Mumbai police, Anvay Naik, who designed the sets of Republic TV, had left a suicide note blaming Mr Goswami and two others for dues he alleged had not been paid to him.
