Arnab Goswami to be arrested again? Republic TV founder named in chargesheet in abetment of suicide case; days after invoking comedy circus featuring Archana Puran Singh

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Days after spending a week in a Maharashtra jail, it seems that Arnab Goswami could be arrested once again as the police in Maharashtra formally named him in a chargesheet in a 2018 abetment of suicide case. This came days after the Republic TV founder was seen admonishing a guest from Pakistan using an iconic comedy show featuring Archana Puran Singh, Kapil Sharma and Salman Khan’s brother.

The police in Maharashtra filed the chargesheet before a court in Alibaug in neighbouring Raigad district, around 100 kms from Mumbai. The first case against Goswami and two others was first registered in Raigad for their alleged role in the abetment of suicide interior designer Anvay Naik and his mother Kumud.

Quoting Public Prosecutor Pradeep Gharat, news agency PTI reported that cops had also named Firoze Sheikh and Nitish Sarda as accused in the 1,914-page chargesheet. In a bid to make the case watertight, cops have named as many as 65 witnesses in the chargesheet.

The chargesheet was filed a day after the controversial anchor approached the Bombay High Court seeking a stay on the filing of the chargesheet. His plea is yet to be ehard by the court.

The devlopment came just days after Goswami was seen admonishing a Pakistani guest on his TV channel by invoking an iconic comedy programme featuring Archana Puran Singh of The Kapil Sharma Show, Kapil Sharma and Salman Khan’s brother Sohail Khan. He had asked his guest, “Have you just come out of Comedy Circus? Does every Pakistani talk like him?”

Comedy Circus was an iconic show on Sony TV featuring many comedians including Krushna Abhishek, Raju Srivastava, Bharti Singh and Kapil Sharma. The show was judged by many big names including Salman Khan’s brother Sohail Khan and Archana Puran Singh. Comedy Circus is largely credited with catapulting Kapil to his present day stardom.

What’s Abetmet to Suicide Case?

Anvay Naik and her mother had committed suicides in 2018. The police had filed an FIR against Arnab Goswami, Feroz Shaikh of IcastX/Skimedia and Niteish Sarda of Smartworks, on the charge of abetment to suicide at Alibaug police station on a complaint by Akshata.  According to the complaint, the deceased had worked with the three persons he named in the suicide note. According to his wife’s complaint, the three did not clear his pending bills, leading Naik to suffer severe losses in his business.

Republic TV in its statement had denied allegations of non-payment in its statement.

At the time of filing the FIR against Goswami, Maharashtra had a BJP government headed by the then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. With Maharashtra now being ruled by the Congress, the NCP and the Shiv Sena, Goswami’s detractors hope that that the abetment to suicide case will be fast-tracked and reach a logical conclusion.

Goswami was arrested from his residence in Mumbai on 4 November before being sent to 14 days of judicial custody. He was later shifted to Navi Mumbai’s Taloja Jail. The Bombay High Court had refused to grant him bail, but the Supreme Court listed his case on priority and granted him bail. The top court had to face plenty of criticism for extending special treatment to Goswami.

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