Arnab gets exemption from appearance in suicide abetment case

    Mumbai, Mar 5 (PTI) The Bombay High Court on Friday
granted interim exemption to TV journalist Arnab Goswami from
appearing before a magistrates court at Alibaug in adjoining
Raigad district in connection with an abetment to suicide
case.
    The relief has been granted till April 16.
    Goswami, the Republic TV Editor-in-Chief, and two
others are accused of abetting the suicide of Alibaug-based
interior designer Anvay Naik, who killed himself in 2018 over
alleged non-payment of dues by the companies of the accused.
    They were arrested on November 4, 2020. The accused
failed to get relief from the HC after which they approached
the Supreme Court which granted them bail on November 11.
    On Friday, Goswamis advocate Sanjog Parab told a
division bench of Justices S S Shinde and Manish Pitale his
client has been directed to appear before the Chief Judicial
Magistrate at Alibaug, a coastal town 100km from Mumbai, on
March 10 for committal of the trial in the case to a sessions
court.
    The HC was hearing a petition filed by Goswami
challenging the FIR lodged against him by the Raigad police in
the case and the subsequent chargesheet submitted in the local
court.
    The 47-year-old journalist, who has denied charges
levelled against him in the case, has sought the HC to quash
the FIR.
    Parab sought the HC to grant Goswami exemption from
appearance in the local court.
    Since we are seized of the matter, we grant the
petitioner (Goswami) protection with regard to exemption from
appearance till April 16 when we will hear the plea further,
the court said in its order. PTI SP
RSY RSY

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)