Mumbai: Republic TV has reacted sharply to the arrest of its Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami on Wednesday.
In a news release issued after the journalist’s arrest, Republic TV said that the allegations against Arnab were unfounded.
“Fabricated lies about how ARG Outlier Media Pvt Ltd (‘ARG’) owes money to Mrs. Akshata Naik, the wife of deceased architect Anvay Naik were spread in May 2020. Today, Arnab Goswami’s arrest in the related suicide case has been made as part of a larger vindictive exercise against an independent journalist and an independent news organisation,” the release said.
It further said that the matter had been closed by court on complete failure to provide evidence. “A certain Akshata Naik released a video which was circulated extensively by Congress party’s social media handles and its members in May 2020. The allegations made therein are false and scurrilous. The fact is, the 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,” it said.
Among other things the release stated that the Raigaci Police had found no proof of any illegality and the DYSP Alibag, Division Alibag had filed a closure report before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Raigad.
It alleged that the case had been reopened ‘with the sole purpose of misusing power, concocting facts and forcefully arresting Arnab Goswami in a prima facie act of revenge and vengeance for his news coverage which questioned those in power in the state of Maharashtra.’
Arnab Goswami’s arrest in a mocked-up suicide case is an attempt to regurgitate a closed case in a motivated, malice-ridden and vindictive attempt to punish Republic Media Network for speaking truth to power.
“The very fact that the open physical assault on Arnab, his family and on team Republic was caught on tape and beamed across the world this morning in a closed case is proof of the desperation with which the Mumbai Police and Maharashtra Government is operating. This latest fake case comes after the Mumbai Police has been exposed in their campaign of falsities in the fake TRP case. The fake hawala allegations. Republic stands together with the people of India on our side to ensure that justice prevails in its entirety,” the release concluded.
