In a big relief to Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami, the Supreme Court on Friday said that prima facie evaluation of FIR lodged by Maharashtra police does not establish the abetment of suicide charge against him in the 2018 Anvay Naik suicide case. On Friday, a Supreme Court bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Indira Banerjee pronounced their judgement giving detailed reasons for the interim bail to Arnab Goswami on November 11 in the 2018 Anvay Naik suicide case. The court further held that in cases involving liberty of citizens who are targeted by state, the courts must ensure that state does not use “criminal law as a tool to harass or jeopardise liberty (of citizens)”.
On November 11, the Bench had said that state cannot target any individual in this manner for keeping divergent ideology or views and that constitutional courts will be duty-bound to protect liberty of citizens.“We are dealing with a person’s liberty. Across the country, if this court is not to interfere today, we are treading on a path of destruction of liberty....you may dislike a person’s ideology and challenge it but if this is what our states will do to nail persons, we have to put across this message to all high courts to preserve the liberty of citizens,” the bench had said on November 11.
Senior advocate Harish Salve, who appeared for Goswami, had on that day argued that his arrest was planned to target him for making unpalatable views against the Maharashtra government and state police in his TV debates. Salve stated the suicide note left by the deceased businessman Anvay Naik mentioned only Rs88 lakh as unpaid dues against Goswami while others named in suicide note left by Naik owed him larger sums. The bench even commented on the FIR involved in the case. The court had said, “in a matter of this nature where some amount is already paid and the person commits suicide due to financial stress, will you hold the head of the company for abetment to suicide? In most companies, work orders are given out as a labour contract.... Will it not be travesty of justice to deny bail to such a person when his quashing petition is pending.”Naik’s wife had approached the police with a complaint against Goswami and two others. The state police had filed a closure report but earlier this year, the police began probe into the case.