Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Monday spoke to Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh over the arrest of Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami. A statement from the Raj Bhavan said that the Governor has expressed concern about the health and security of the television anchor, currently lodged in Mumbai’s Taloja jail, and asked the Minister to allow Arnab to see his family.
“Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari spoke to Maharashtra’s Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and conveyed to him his concern over the security and health of news anchor and editor-in-chief of Republic Media Network Arnab Goswami. The Governor also asked the Home Minister to allow the family of Arnab Goswami to see him and to speak to him. The Governor had earlier conveyed his concern over the manner of arrest of Arnab Goswami to the State Home Minister,” the statement said.
Arnab Goswami was on Sunday moved to Taloja jail after allegedly being found using a mobile phone while in judicial custody at a school designated as COVID-19 centre for Alibaug prison, a police official told PTI.
The Raigad crime branch found Goswami was active on social media using somebody's mobile phone, despite his personal mobile phone having been seized by police when he was taken into custody on November 4, the official said.
While being escorted to Taloja jail, Goswami shouted from the police van, alleging that he was assaulted by Alibaug jailer on Saturday evening, his life was in danger and he was not allowed to speak to his lawyer.
Meanwhile, in a statement, Samyabrata Ray Goswami, a senior executive editor of Republic TV and Arnab Goswami’s wife, said he has been framed on fake charges. "This morning, my husband, who has spent four nights in judicial custody, was being dragged and lugged by the Maharashtra Police in a blacked-out police van to Taloja Jail. He was repeatedly saying my life is under threat but to no avail,” she said.
"He repeatedly said that the jailer assaulted him after he asked for access to his lawyers, which was shockingly denied. He detailed the assault being inflicted on him during this custody and pleaded, hands folded, to the Supreme Court for intervention and bail," she said in the statement.
"An innocent man and journalist of decades of repute, who is doing his duty for the nation, has been assaulted, harassed and framed on fake charges. He has been thrown into jail with no reprieve, she said.
Arnab and two others - Feroze Shaikh and Nitish Sarda - were arrested by Alibaug police on November 4 in connection with the suicide of architect-interior designer Anvay Naik and his mother in 2018 over alleged non-payment of dues by companies of the accused. The Bombay High Court will on Monday pronounce its order on the interim bail application filed by Goswami and the two others in connection with the abetment of suicide case.
With PTI inputs