Arnab Goswami challenges arrest, High Court to hear interim bail plea today

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court will on Friday hear an application filed by Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami seeking interim bail in the 2018 abetment of suicide case in which he has been arrested.

He was produced before a magistrate's court which remanded him in judicial custody till November 18.

"Taking into consideration the reasons behind the arrest of the accused persons and the arguments put forth by the accused persons, the arrest appears to be prima facie illegal," the magistrate said.

Goswami then moved the HC against the "illegal arrest", sought a stay to the investigation and a direction to the police to release him. He has also sought that the FIR against him be quashed.

A division bench of Justices S S Shinde and M S Karnik on Thursday directed Goswami to make the complainant in the case, Akshata Naik, Anvay's wife, a respondent to his plea.

"The respondents (the Maharashtra government and the complainant) are entitled to respond.... We will consider the interim relief sought tomorrow (Friday)," the court said.

Senior counsel Aabad Ponda, appearing for Goswami, said a bail plea filed before the Alibaug magistrate's court has been withdrawn.

"The magistrate had not given clarity on when the bail plea would be heard and had also expressed difficulty in hearing the same as the case lies in the jurisdiction of the sessions court.

"Hence, we are seeking for interim bail here in high court," Ponda said.

Senior counsel Harish Salve, also appearing for Goswami, argued that no prejudice will be caused to the prosecution if he was released on bail.

The court, however, said it cannot consider the issue of bail without giving the respondents a chance to argue.

Goswami spent the night at a local school which has been designated as a COVID-19 centre for the Alibaug prison, an official said on Thursday.

Police had sought Goswami's custody for 14 days, but the court held that custodial interrogation was not required.

On Wednesday night, Goswami was taken for medical examination at a state-run hospital in the coastal town, the official said.

After the medical exam, he was taken to Alibaug Nagar Parishad School, which is designated as a COVID-19 centre of the Alibaug prison, and he spent the night there, the official said.