SP Raigad was directly given orders from CM office: Top Sources on Arnab Goswami’s arrest

In a shocking incident on Wednesday morning, Republic Media Network's Editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami was arrested by Maharashtra Police after the latter barged into his residence and assaulted him. After the arrest, Maharashtra Police took him to Raigad Police Station and have said that he has been arrested under charges of abetment of suicide in the 2018 Anvay Naik case - which was closed but has now been reopened.

The Mumbai Police has said that they have recorded a fresh statement in the case and that the evidence was tampered with earlier. Under this pretext, they claim that fresh investigation in the matter is necessary.

As per top sources, the Mumbai Police DG did not concur with the CID chief on arrest and therefore Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and Mumbai CP Param Bir Singh met over the issue. Sources also say that SP Raigad was directly given orders from CM office for Arnab's arrest.

The arrest of Arnab Goswami has been made by Raigad police station and not the state CID. Whereas this matter of re-opening the case was given to state CID by state home minister but the case wasn’t reopened due to lack of evidence. Now, sources have added that the state government has made the local Raigad police reinvestigate the matter.

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The Mumbai Police before the arrest of Arnab manhandled him and as many as 8 police vehicles and at least 40-50 Police personnel were in his building premises. Moreover, the Mumbai Police blocked Republic Executive editor Niranjan Narayanswamy and senior associate editor Sanjay Pathak from entering Arnab's residence. When Niranjan said that it is his right to report, he was thrown out of the building and the Mumbai Police wanted his phone. 

Facts in the case 2018 Anvay Naik case

In May 2020, Akshata Naik, wife of deceased architect Anvay Naik alleged that ARG Outlier Media Pvt Ltd (‘ARG’) owes money to her. However, ARG Outlier Media Pvt Ltd has paid over 90% of the amounts due to deceased Anvay Naik’s company Concorde Designs Pvt. Ltd. (‘CDPL’) as per the terms of the work orders issued, over two years ago. The remaining sum was to be paid on completion of the pending work, which has since not been undertaken. Moreover, despite multiple meetings, emails, letters and whatsapp messages reaching out to CDPL - Akshata Naik, and Adnya Naik regarding ARG Outlier Media Ltd’s willingness to ensure a full and final settlement, no concrete response has been received. In fact, the entire balance due was transferred to the bank account of CDPL in July 2019, but was returned because the account is inoperative.  

Anvay Naik suicide case was investigated and closed by a court of law after a closure report by the police noted that no case was made out in April, 2019. The Raigad Police had done a full investigation into the case, recorded Arnab Goswami’s statement and found no proof of any illegality. The DYSP Alibag, Division Alibag filed a closure report before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Raigad and the same was granted on April 16, 2019. 

FULL STATEMENT BY REPUBLIC HERE: 

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