'Arnab Goswami's arrest most despicable scene one can see in democracy', fumes Gurumurthy

Veteran journalist and RSS Ideologue S Gurumurthy strongly condemned the assault and arrest of Republic Media Network Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami on Wednesday. He called the arrest ‘barbaric’  an termed the Maharashtra government as ‘shameless and ruthless’. Gurumurthy also asked about how ‘scathing’ the statement would have been had a ‘Lutyan media personality’ been arrested by a Bharatiya Janata Party-led government.

READ: Arnab Goswami Assaulted & Arrested By Police; Republic Asks Indians To Defend Democracy

S Gurumurthy slams arrest of Arnab Goswami

Reacting to Arnab Goswami's arrest, S Gurumurthy termed it as the ‘most despicable scene one can see in a democracy.’

Referring to the heavy presence of police officials, some holding guns, during the arrest, he temed the physical assault and arrest by ‘AK-47 wielding commandos' and taking him to Raigad as ‘barbaric.’ Gurumurthy also termed as ‘ominous’ the silence of other media companies. He hoped that courts will step in and ‘stop this state barbarism’ and highlighted Arnab’s constitutional rights.

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Arnab was arrested under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code on the charges of abetment to suicide in a case from 2018. Gurumurthy called it 'despicable' that ‘3 year old closed case’  was opened by a ‘scary and semi barbaric government' as called them, ‘Shameless and ruthless Maharashtra govt.’

Support for Arnab Goswami also poured in from other prominet names of the country like Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Ministers, actor Kangana Ranaut, media associations, among others.

Arnab was taken to the Alibag police station from where he waved the victory sign and assured the fans of the Republic Media Network.     

'My son was beaten-up'

On Wednesday morning, the entire country witnessed the operation of a police state in Maharashtra. At 7:45 am, Republic Media Network’s Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami house was encircled, his home was barged into, cameras forcefully turned off, he was physically assaulted and dragged out of his home in a police van. Arnab was not served summons prior and not even allowed access to his legal team. 

As Arnab was being manhandled and pushed into a police van, by a battalion of armed police officers, he said, “They hit me. They physically assaulted me. I want to tell the people of India to fight for us.” He said, “my son was beaten-up.”

With regard to his legal team, Arnab Goswami was blocked by the Mumbai Police vis-a-vis having legal aid present. Encounter cop Sachin Vaze declared to Republic TV - Arnab Goswami has been arrested under the grave section of 306 of the IPC, in a mocked-up case. It may be recalled that fake charges of suicide were levelled against Arnab Goswami in 2018.  The matter was investigated by the Mumbai Police and closed by a court of law after a closure report by the police noted that no case was made out.

The Mumbai Police also 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.

READ: S Gurumurthy Slams FIR Against Republic Editorial Team; Asks 'Sharad Pawar To Take Note'

READ: Arnab Goswami Assaulted, Arrested By Mumbai Police Forcibly; Full 12 Min Sequence Out