Arnab Goswami Case: is he in a pickle?

On November 04, 2020, The Crime Investigation Department of Mumbai Police arrested Arnab Goswami, Chief of Republic TV in an abetment to suicide case of 2018.

Based on the findings, an FIR under Section 306 of IPC for abetment to suicide case has been registered against Goswami, Shaikh and Sarda. Deceased laptop has been sent for forensic examination whereas the police has been called to re-conduct the investigation.

What is Arnab case all about?

In 2018, Anvay Naik, an interior designer committed suicide and left three names in the suicide note and i.e. Goswami, Feroz Sheik and Neetish Sarda. As per the suicide note, all three accused commissioned Naik as their professional designer for their respective projects and did not pay him the promised money of Rs. 5.40 crore.

Why was FIR registered against Arnab Goswami?

Naik was found hanged at his Alibaug farmhouse while his mother was also found dead. Naik’a company Concorde Designs Private Limited worked for Goswami from Republic TV, Feroz Shaik from iCastx and Neetish Sarda of Smartworks but didn’t get anything in return. Within the suicide note, Naik also mentioned the breakdown of the money which are following:

1. Arnab Goswami - ARG owner of Republic TV. not paid 83 Lacs for Bombay dyeing studio Project.
2. Feroz Sheikh - Icastx/skimedia not paid our 400 lakhs in Laxmi 3rd & 4th floor Idea square project in Andheri.
3. Niteish sarda - Owner of smart works -- Magarpatta and baner project. (55 lacs pending)

“Kindly collect money from them & held them responsible for our death and pay to creditors", stated the suicide note.

What about the investigation in the case?

Although the case was closed by the state police and given green flag under the governance of Devendra Fadnavis, a BJP leader who was chief minister at that time. In May 2020, Naik’s wife and daughter met Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and requested him to re-open and re-investigate the suicide case. For the same, he tweeted “Adnya Naik had complained to me that Alibaug Police had not investigated non-payment of dues from Arnab Goswami’s Republic which drove her entrepreneur father and grandma to suicide in May 2018. I’ve ordered a CID re-investigation of the case.” According to Adnya, the police had not examined the Rs. 83 lakh that Goswami had to pay to her father, whereas the Home Department sent the case to CID in May and a permission had been given to Raigad police to reopen the case and start investigation on the same.

How many cases Arnab Goswami is facing in Mumbai?

Beside the abetment to suicide case of 2018, Republic TV has been questioned in the TRP scam. Republic Tv along with five others have been into limelight because they have been accused of making payments for boosting TRPs. An FIR is registered against Arnab Goswami for ‘incitement to disaffection’ over a show where the channel says that there are other officers in Mumbai police who were against the action of Param Bir Singh. Other than this, Goswami has also been accused of communalising incidents like migrants’ mob outside the Bandra railway station and the lynching of Sadhus in Palghar. Arnab Goswami had sent an appeal to the Supreme Court against these FIRs. He had also been issued a show cause notice by the Maharashtra Government in Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case, but Goswami challenged this too in the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, it has also been learnt that the Raigad police has asked to conduct an enquiry against the earlier investigating officer for the improper probe.