Journalist Arnab Goswami has been arrested in a case related to abetment to suicide but not related to coverage by his media house Republic TV. Pictures of him in a police van emerged all over social media. His own platform Republic TV reported he was 'manhandled' and 'thrashed'.
Zee News reports this is related to an old abetment to suicide case. This is a developing story under our media watch category and we will sharing more details as they emerge.
Zee further noted, that Arnab "will be taken to Raigad for further questioning in connection with this case. Earlier on Wednesday, over a dozen officers of the Mumbai Police arrived at Arnab's residence to arrest him."
About the case
According to a Hindustan Times report, Goswami has been arrested in connection with the suicide of interior designer Anvay Naik and his mother Kumud Naik, back in 2018. 53-year-old Naik had accused Goswami, Feroz Shaikh and Niteish Sarda of non-payment of dues worth Rs 5.40 crores that caused him financial stress. Alibaug police had filed a case of abetment to suicide in 2018, that was closed by Raigarh Police the next year.
However, in May this year, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had ordered a fresh CID probe into the case, after being approached by Naik's daughter.
Indian media under scrutiny
Over the last few months Indian media has been under scrutiny. But this arrest appears to be in a specific case that Mumbai police is revisiting. As per some reports, the reinvestigation of abetment to suicide was reordered in May 26, 2020 by Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.
The Mumbai Police on Wednesday conducted a raid the residence of Editor-in-Chief and Managing Director of Republic Media Network Arnab Goswami and took him to the Raigad Police station.
Goswami is the Editor in Chief of Republic TV. Earlier he was with Times Now.
State of Indian Media
Indian media has seen some of its lowest points in terms of credibility this year. The coverage of the death by suicide of Sushant Singh Rajput, later the media trial Rhea Chakraborty was put through, all of these have been questions by media watchers. Many experts have been concerned with the kind of 'exclusive news' journalists are aiming at. Earlier in the year we questioned Navika Kumar's breaking story of showing Sushant Singh Rajput's death body on television. News is dead, opinions are driving our tv watching experience and that's often laced with biases.
Though unrelated, Goswami's arrest and a case around alleged abetment to suicide, itself is a signal to how we need to lower the pedestal on which we put journalists today. Media needs to lower the noise factor and viewers need to get realistic about what they are consuming.
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