Bombay High Court is hearing a habeas corpus plea by Republic TV Managing Director and Chief Editor Arnab Goswami, challenging his arrest by the Maharashtra Police in an abetment of suicide case and seeking interim bail. The court also hearing a plea filed by Adnya Naik, daughter of the architect Anvay Naik, who along with his mother Kumud Naik, had committed suicide at their bungalow in Alibaug, Raigad, on May 5, 2018. She has sought a reinvestigation into the case or transferring it to an independent agency.
The Alibaug district sessions court passed the order after it was informed that the Bombay High Court is presently hearing petitions filed by Goswami and two other accused in the case – Feroze Shaikh and Nitesh Sarda – seeking interim bail and challenging their “illegal arrest”.
The police had in its application sought the sessions court to quash the lower court’s order and grant them custody of the three accused.
Goswami was arrested on Wednesday morning from his Lower Parel residence in Mumbai in connection with the case. He was taken to the Alibaug police station and later produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Sunaina Pingle.
Passing the order late on Wednesday night, the magistrate refused to remand the trio to police custody and sent them to judicial custody till November 18.
The Alibaug police had sought 14 days’ custody of Goswami for interrogation.
Goswami is presently kept at a local school, which has been designated as a COVID-19 centre for the Alibaug prison.
In May this year, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had announced he has ordered a fresh probe in the case after a complaint by Adnya Naik, daughter of Anvay Naik.
