Samyabrata Ray Goswami, a senior executive editor of Republic TV and Arnab Goswami’s wife, has made a desperate plea appealing for the Republic TV founder’s release after the latter was shifted to Navi Mumbai’s Taloja jail. Goswami, according to a report by Times of India, was accused of using a mobile phone during his judicial custody.
The statement by Samyabrata read, “On Sunday morning, my husband, who has spent four nights in judicial custody (JC), was being dragged and lugged by the Maharashtra Police in a blacked-out police van to Taloja Jail. He was repeatedly saying ‘my life is under threat’ but to no avail. He repeatedly said that the jailer assaulted him after he asked for access to his lawyers, which was shockingly denied. He detailed the assault being inflicted on him during this custody and pleaded, hands folded, to the Supreme Court (SC) for intervention and bail. An innocent man and journalist of decades of repute, who is doing his duty for the nation, has been assaulted, harassed and framed on fake charges. He has been thrown into jail with no reprieve…,”
#IndiaWithArnab | Senior Executive Editor Samyabrata Ray Goswami’s statement: With Arnab publicly disclosing threat to his life & atrocities faced in custody, law & order officers, the state & national machinery will be held responsible if any harm is inflicted upon my husband pic.twitter.com/OltU13IzOT
— Republic (@republic) November 8, 2020
Investigating office inspector Jamil Shaikh of Raigad crime branch was quoted by Times of India as saying that Goswami was found to be active on social media using someone else’s mobile phone. The officer said that Goswami’s mobile phone was confiscated soon after his arrest, adding that he had written to the Alibaug Jail superintendent seeking an inquiry into how Goswami accessed a phone inside judicial custody.
In one video, Goswami was seen alleging that his life was under threat and he was not being allowed to speak to his lawyers.
#ArnabGoswamy is being tortured, denied access to lawyers. Is @India_NHRC sleeping? Where is @AmitShahOffice? If this could happen to the top journalist, what is guarantee for ordinary people? pic.twitter.com/xxQuoOXxpM
— Hit News India (@HitNewsIndia) November 8, 2020
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police on Sunday briefly detained BJP leaders Kapil Mishra and Tajinder Bagga for staging a protest at Rajghat in Goswami’s support.
Goswami was arrested from his Worli residence on Wednesday in an abetment to suicide case. He was later sent to 14 days of judicial custody. His lawyers moved the Bombay High Court seeking his urgent release, but failed to get relief. The High Court has reserved the order for at least four days.