'Voice of free press is curbed in Maharashtra': BJP's Vinod Tawde after attack on Arnab

BJP leader Vinod Tawde on Thursday condemned the physical attack on Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami and his wife and Republic TV Editor Samyabrata Ray Goswami on Wednesday night while they were on their way home from Republic's studios in Mumbai at about quarter-past-midnight.

Taking to Twitter, Tawde slammed the Congress for their silence on the mob lynching of Hindu saints in Palghar and said that the voice of the press was being curbed in the state.

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Arnab and Samyabrata attacked

The attack took place barely 500 metres away from Arnab's house as he and Samyabrata Ray were driving back following his show, with Arnab driving their Toyota Corolla. Masked goons on a bike overtook and blocked Arnab's car and proceeded to hurl bottles along with abuses after taking a good hard look to identify him in the front seat.

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Arnab's security caught the attackers, who are now in the custody of the Mumbai police and are being questioned. They confessed to Arnab's Mumbai police attache who is an undersigned in the complaint that they had been sent by party higher-ups to teach Arnab a lesson. This comes after Arnab had questioned Congress president Sonia Gandhi in his debate mere hours earlier.

Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered several hours after the complaint was filed. It has been registered at the NM Joshi Marg Police station under sec 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint) and 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of IPC, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 3, Mumbai. The charges are severely watered down.

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