A division bench of Justices SS Shinde and MS Karnik will hold a special sitting on Saturday 12pm to hear the interim bail plea of Republic Television editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami in the 2018 case of abetment to suicide of architecht-interior designer Anvy Naik and his mother. The hearing remained incomplete on Friday as there was scarcity of time. The high court does not assemble on Saturdays. So, the case can be heard at length, the bench observed on Friday.
The 47-year-old journalist was arrested by Alibag police on Wednesday from his Lower Parel residence and produced him to a magistrate’s court which remanded him in judicial custody till November 18.
Goswami is being represented by two lawyers — Harish Salve and Aabad Ponda.
Here is what happened during Friday’s hearing:
> The bench said that the normal practice to seek bail is to first approach the lower court magistrate or sessions court concerned. If bail is refused, then one can move the high court.
> Harish Salve said Section 439 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) gives the high court special powers to hear bail pleas. “His (Goswami’s) liberty is at stake,” Salve said.
> A bail plea was moved before the magistrate’s court in Alibag but it was later withdrawn as the case lies in the jurisdiction of the sessions court. The local police moved the sessions court seeking Goswami’s police custody.
> “What is the harm if this gentleman is released om bail? What is going to happen between now and after Diwali?” Salve submitted before the bench, as reported by Livelaw.
> “The problem cannot be that he will go back to the TV channel and scream and will make allegations against Parambir Singh(Mumbai Police Commissioner). He will certainly. But that it is no ground to keep him in custody”, Salve said.
By Hindustan Times
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