Arnab Goswami shifted from Alibaug school to Taloja jail

Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami

Republic TV Editor-in-Chief, Arnab Goswami was shifted to Taloja Jail on Sunday, allegedly after he was found using a mobile phone inside the jail quarantine center at Alibaug goverment school.

The jail officials confirmed that he was brought to Taloja Jail in Navi Mumbai. He has been allotted quarantine center inside the jail and after completion of the quarantine period he will be shifted to jail barracks. Goswami, while leaving from Alibaug school, has said that his life is at stake. In a video carried by Republic TV he was heard saying, "I requested them to let me take to my lawyers but they denied, my life is at stake, they tried to shift me in the night only and in the morning they dragged me, everyone has seen what is happening with me, I appeal to the supreme court please give me bail."

He has been remanded to judicial custody till November 18 by Alibaug Court Chief Judicial Magistrate Sunaina Pingle.

Slamming the move to shift him, wife Samyabrata Ray Goswami claimed that her husband was "dragged and lugged by the Maharashtra Police in a blacked-out police van to Taloja Jail this morning".

She said that her husband repeatedly said his "life was under threat" and the jailer assaulted him after he demanded access to his lawyers, "which was shockingly denied".

"With Arnab (Goswami) publicly disclosing the threat to his life and the atrocities he is facing in custody, the law and order officers and the entire state and national machinery will be held responsible if any harm is inflicted upon my husband," said Samyabrata in a statement.

Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party vice-president Kirit Somaiya rushed to the jail and demanded proper care and security for Goswami while he was kept there.

"The jailer assured me of no harassment to Goswami in jail and proper medical treatment if required will be provided," Somaiya later told mediapersons.

Goswami was arrested early Wednesday by a team of Mumbai Police and Raigad Police in connection with the case of double-suicide of an architect Anvay Naik and his mother Kumud Naik in Alibaug on May 5, 2018.

In a suicide note, Naik had named Goswami and two others -- Feroze Shaikh and Nitesh Sarda -- who allegedly defaulted and failed to clear their dues of over Rs 5 crore for his professional services as agreed upon.

(with inputs from IANS)

Keep scrolling to read more news

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news