'We have strong digital & documentary evidence against Arnab, 2 others'

Arnab Goswami sits inside a police van following his arrest on November 4. File pic

The Raigad Crime Branch on Friday filed a charge sheet against Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami and two others in connection with the abetment to suicide case. The trio have been accused of abetting the suicides of interior designer Anvay Naik and his mother Kumud Naik.

Firoze Sheikh and Nitish Sarda are the two others named in the 1,914-page charge sheet filed before the Alibaug magistrate court, which has taken cognisance of it. The charge sheet mentions six confessional statements under Section 164 of CrPC, and 29 witnesses. "The witnesses are the family members of the deceased and the employees who worked for Anvay. The chargesheet also includes the statement of the employees of some of the accused," a Crime Branch officer said.

"We have strong digital and documentary evidence against all the accused and the emails sent to the accused by Anvay Naik. The suicide note has been taken as the dying declaration that has mentioned the name of the accused," the officer said. The charge sheet stated that the handwriting experts from the Criminal Investigation Department has confirmed that the suicide note was written by Anvay, who killed himself on May 5, 2018. The forensic reports also mentioned that he was not under pressure while writing the note.

Goswami had moved the Bombay High Court on Thursday, seeking a stay on the filing of the charge sheet and on further probe in the case. However, he did not get a date for hearing. Last month, he had filed an application in the HC requesting to quash the FIR in which the chargesheet has been filed. The HC will hear this plea on December 10. The Raigad Crime Branch had arrested Goswami on November 4 and released him from Taljoa jail on November 11 after he secured interim relief from the Supreme Court.

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