New Delhi: Media groups, Journalists’ unions as well as the Editors Guild of India have unequivocally condemned the way Republic Television’s editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami was arrested by the Maharashtra Police in the early hours today purportedly in connection with an abetment to suicide case of interior designer Anvay Naik and his mother Kumud Naik, both directors of Concorde Designs Private Limited. They had committed suicide on May 5, 2018 and had left a suicide note reportedly citing unpaid dues from three companies including Goswami’s Republic TV (Rs. 83 lakh).
“The Editors Guild of India is shocked to learn about the arrest of Arnab Goswami, editor-in-chief of Republic TV, in the early hours of Wednesday by the Police. Goswami was arrested from his Mumbai residence reportedly an abetment to suicide case. We condemn the sudden arrest and find it extremely distressing,” the Guild said in a statement. The Guild called upon the Chief Minister of Maharashtra to ensure that Goswami was treated fairly and “state power” was not used against critical reporting by the media.
Video of Arnab’s arrest from his residence in Mumbai that is doing rounds on WhatsApp.
globalbihari.com cannot vouch for its authenticity.
The Delhi Union of Journalists too, in a statement, expressed “serious concern” over the arrest of Goswamy. “We condemn the growing tendency of state governments to file FIRs against journalists and arrest them arbitrarily. Such actions are an infringement of the right to free speech and expression, the DUJ stated. It further referred to a report of the Delhi-based Rights and Risk Analysis Group (RRAG), that showed as many as 55 journalists “faced arrest, registration of FIRs, summons or show cause notices, physical assaults, alleged destruction of properties and threats” for reporting on COVID-19 or “exercising freedom of opinion and expression during the national lockdown between March 25 and May 31, 2020.”
“This number has gone up sharply since then, with arrests and other coercive actions for exposes of corruption in PDS and medical supplies to hospitals, tweets against various politicians and other issues. In a few cases, the higher judiciary has granted anticipatory bail or temporary stay on arrests,” the DUJ stated.
Three Delhi journalists have been arrested in recent months. Prashant Kannojia was arrested on August 17, 2020 and spent over a month in a UP jail for a tweet. He is currently on bail. Rajeev Sharma was arrested on September 19, 2020 for alleged spying activity. Siddique Kappan was arrested on October 9, 2020 while on his way to report on the Hathras rape case and stands accused under UAPA.
“The Delhi Union of Journalists condemns the increasing powers given to the police and other agencies to arrest, intimidate, beat up and harass journalists. We demand the speedy enactment of a special law to protect journalists and media freedoms,” Sujata Madhok, General Secretary of DUJ, said.
Aroon Purie, Chairman & Editor-in-Chief of the India Today Group tweeted: “I totally disagree with Arnab’s style of journalism and no one is above the law but I condemn misuse of state power to intimidate journalists. The manner of his arrest is totally unacceptable in a democracy.”
The Journalist’s Forum of Assam also “strongly” denounced Goswami’s arrest and urged the Maharashtra government to release him urgently. The forum also appealed to the media fraternity of India to raise strong voices against the physical assault to the chief editor of Republic TV.
“The rule of law defines the power to the police department for various occasions but arresting a senior scribe like a criminal is totally unacceptable,” stated JFA president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava Thakuria adding, “We hope, good sense will prevail over Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to show the basic minimum respect to Arnab Goswami as the scribe represents the voice of millions of Indians.”
In the meantime, the All India.Bar Association, in a letter to Maharashtra Governor today claimed Goswami’s arrest “violated the landmark guidelines to protect the rights of arrestee as enumerated in judgment delivered by Hon’ble Supreme Court in D. K. Basu v. State of West Bengal (AIR 1997 SC 610).”
“The following guidelines of Supreme Court in the judgment passed in D. K. Basu v. State of West Bengal (AIR 1997 SC 610), have been violated by Mumbai Police in the matter of arrest of Arnab Goswami.,” AIBA chairman Dr. Asish C. Aggarwala pointed out in the said letter.
DUTIES OF POLICE MAKING ARREST AND HANDLING INTERROGATION:
All Police personnel should wear name tags clearly indicating their name and designation.
Police must enter the complete details of Police officials conducting interrogation in a register.
ARREST MEMO:
The Police officer making an arrest has to prepare an Arrest Memo that records details of the arrest.
The arrest memo must contain:
a. The signature of at least one witness, who can be a relative of the arrestee or a respectable person of the locality where the arrest is made.
b. The time, date, and place of the arrest. The arrested person should sign the arrest memo after it is properly prepared.
INSPECTION MEMO:
If the arrested person requests it, the arresting officer must record any minor/major injuries on his/her body in an Inspection memo. The memorandum should be signed by the arrested person and the arresting officer. A copy of the Memo must be given to the arrested person.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ARREST AND DETENTION:
The arrested person has the right that his/her relative/friend is informed about the arrest. The Police must contact and inform the relative/friend of the time and place of arrest, and the exact location where the arrested person is detained, at the earliest. If the relative / friend is in a different district / city, the concerned Police station should be informed by telegraph within 8-12 hours of the arrest and then convey the information to the relative / friend. The information of the arrest should also be sent through the district legal aid committee.
RIGHT TO A LAWYER:
The arrested person has the right to meet and consult a lawyer during his/her interrogation. The Police cannot deny this.
ILLAQA MAGISTRATE:
The Police must send one copy of all documents, relating to the arrest (including the Arrest and Inspection Memos) to the Illaqa Magistrate for his/her records.
POLICE CONTROL ROOM:
Police Control Rooms should be set up in all district and state headquarters. The arresting officer has the duty to inform the control room about the place of detention of the arrested person. This has to be done in all arrests. This information must be sent to the Control Room within 12 hours of the arrest. This information must be displayed clearly on the notice board of the Control Room. Duties of Police making arrest and handling interrogation:
“These directions should be mandatorily followed. Refusal to do so results in the initiation of contempt of Court proceedings. Departmental action should be initiated against Police officials who have violated above safeguards guaranteed to the citizens of the country,” Dr. Aggarwala said.
– globalbihari bureau
It is totally brutual attack on journalism and free press
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