Amidst huge uproar going on against the Maharashtra State Government over the arrest of Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, a hearing took place in the Bombay High Court. However, the outcome was not favorable for Arnab Goswami. The Bombay High Court on Friday refused to grant interim relief to allow the release of Arnab Goswami, Editor-in-Chief of Republic TV, who has been remanded to 14-days judicial custody till November 18 in a 2018 abetment to suicide case.
Hearing the habeas corpus petition, a bench comprising Justices S S Shinde and M S Karnik said, "Can't pass interim order without hearing Complainant and State."
Senior Advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Goswami, said, "He (Goswami) is a journalist. Will heavens fall if he is given interim release? I don't understand, with due respect. However, Justice Shinde remained unconvinced to pass an ad-interim relief and said that he will give reasons for the same.
The bench asked Goswami to add informant Akshata Naik and Central as party to his plea and also asked him to serve copy of the plea to the central government. The bench said it will also hear tomorrow a plea by Adnya Anvay Naik, daughter of late interior designer Anvay Naik, seeking reinvestigation of the A-summary report filed in connection with the FIR of her father’s suicide case.
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Goswami wants the charges quashed and questioned his ‘illegal arrest’ by Maharashtra Police on Wednesday in connection with the case. Senior advocate Abad Ponda representing Goswami asked the Court if the police can review an order closing the case, passed by the Magistrate?
To this, the bench said, “We will have to issue notice to the State, to the complainant and we will hear the case on some other date after vacations. But there are other remedies. You can challenge the remand order.”
Now the Bombay High Court will once again hear the case tomorrow.