High drama was witnessed at the Residence of Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami here on Wednesday morning when a police team arrived to arrest him in an abetment of suicide case with the entire episode, interspersed with arguments and pleadings, recorded on camera.
“Arnab ji chaliye,” said a police officer, requesting the 47-year-old journalist to come along with them to Alibaug, a coastal town in Raigad district adjoining Mumbai where the case against him has been registered. The case relates to suicide by a 53-year-old interior designer in 2018, a police official said.
Footage aired on Republic TV and social media platforms showed Goswami arguing with police official, alleging assault and pleading for medical aid.
After sometime, as Goswami kept arguing and firing a volley of questions, police officials caught him and took him out of his Lower Parel residence in Central Mumbai and put him in a waiting van.
The police officers “Arnab ji” address reminded people of Goswamis jibe at the Maharashtra chief minister as Uddhav Thackeray ji on his TV shows. Mumbai police personnel were present to assist their Raigad counterparts in completing the entire process of detention and arrest.
As Goswami showed reluctance, an officer introduced himself as “DySP Pravin Patil of the Raigad Police”.
Patil told Goswami he has come to his place in legal capacity to arrest him in case no 59/2018 registered at the Alibaug police station under IPC sections 306 (abetment of suicide) and 34 (acts done by persons in furtherance of common intention). Patil also informed Goswami’s family members present in the flat that he is being taken to Alibaug, around 100km from Mumbai. Goswami was seen alleging that he was “physically assaulted” by the police and he will not accept physical assault.