New Delhi: Journalist Arnab Goswami’s face-off with the Congress continued this week as he hit back at the latter’s demand for an investigation into allegations that he abetted the suicide of an architect and his mother two years ago.
The Twitter handle of the Maharashtra Congress posted a video this week where the architect’s widow, Akshata Naik, reiterated an allegation that had led to an FIR against Goswami, who owns the news channel Republic TV, and two others in 2018.
Republic TV issued a statement Thursday rebutting the charge, saying the video was the latest attempt by the “Vadra Congress to pressurise the network”. It also claimed the case against ARG Outlier Media Pvt Limited, Republic TV’s parent company, was closed by a court after police filed a closure report. Akshata, it said, “failed to provide any evidence to back her unfounded allegations”.
Mrs.Akshata Naik has alleged that her entrepreneur husband and her mother in law had to commit suicide due to non payment of dues from Mr. Arnab Goswami's @republic.
This is serious and needs further investigation. pic.twitter.com/sp0dovnMDr— Maharashtra Congress (@INCMaharashtra) May 5, 2020
Statement by REPUBLIC Media Network on the latest attempt by the Vadra Congress to pressurise the network. Here are the facts so that people know how desperate the Vadra Congress has become: pic.twitter.com/YoCaXGqVOH
— Republic (@republic) May 7, 2020
Also Read: Now, Arnab Goswami accuses Mumbai Police of ‘malice’ over Republic TV report, moves SC
‘Serious allegations’
In May 2018, Goswami and two others were booked by Alibaug police for allegedly abetting the suicide of 53-year-old Anvay Naik, an architect, and his mother. In his suicide note, Anvay had reportedly claimed that Goswami and the two others — Feroz Shaikh of IcastX/Skimedia, a media services firm, and Niteesh Sarda of Smart work, which provides “flexible workspaces” — owed him a total of Rs 5.4 crore.
According to the FIR, Goswami owed Rs 83 lakh to the architect, who owned a firm called Concorde Designs Pvt Ltd.
In a tweet posted Tuesday, the Maharashtra Congress shared a video of Akshata talking about the case and said the matter was “serious and needs further investigation”.
Republic TV reacted Thursday, issuing a statement to bring to light “real facts” on the “unfounded allegations and videos” on social media.
“These fabricated lies have emerged as part of a larger vindictive exercise by the Congress party against Republic Media Network for functioning as an independent news organisation. This is apparent from the fact that the Congress is amplifying this lie,” the statement said.
The case, it added, was “closed by a court of law”.
According to the statement, ARG Outlier Media Pvt Limited had paid 90 per cent of all dues over two years ago. It said it had since made “repeated attempts” to make a final settlement and had the full correspondence to prove it.
The dues, it added, were transferred to the bank account of Anvay’s company in July 2019, but returned because the account was “inoperative”.
It claimed Akshata had demanded that the dues should be paid to third-party vendors and not Concorde, but refused to cooperate for the settlement “despite emails and messages”.
“It is hereby stated that any attempt to misrepresent facts, make false claims, and target ARG Outlier Media Pvt Ltd in the matter will be met with legal action both under civil law, and under criminal law including on provisions of criminal conspiracy, defamation, and criminal intimidation (sic),” it stated.
Goswami and the Congress have been on a warpath since last month, when the former was booked after making “inflammatory remarks” against party president Sonia Gandhi. The journalist had also alleged Congress involvement in an attack on him in Mumbai.
Also Read: Arnab faces multiple FIRs for anti-Sonia remarks after blaming Congress for midnight ‘attack’
Losing trust for this channel day by day. Whether causing a suicide or multi million dollars earned by Arnab in recent past, it is proving he is anything but journalist. The channel needs overhauling
As Arnab Goswami’s claim that he was attacked and since the matter is sub-judice and subsequently Mumbai Police has approached the Honourable Supreme Court in trying to restrain Arnab G., I feel the licence of Republic TV channel needs to be cancelled for the time being till the matter gets settled at the Supreme Court. That way there will be no media Trial .
Keep cool. No foul words. Every one knows who is what and vice versa. Matter is under Apex Court, therefore, no personnel unwanted comments. Only one little suggestion to Arnab. As media suggests your yearly income, please do help out some extremely needy people around you. This would be a true gesture of a true nationalist.
why arnab not getting any kind punishment so far ? stop the channel and put him inside the jail. If action not taken then many angry people will beat him on the road side . Indian are Gentle people but when they get angry then no one escape ?
WHERE WERE YOU SHEKHAR GUPTA WHEN INDIRA GANDHI GAGGED AND BOUND THE PRESS AND THREE EVERY POLITICIAN INTO JAIL . WERE YOU SHIVERING IN YOUR PANTS LIKE A COWARD.
I know any sensible person would not talk about a creature called Arnab Goswami but he will go down in history of journalism in lessons what not to do to become a journalist and humanity in learning what to avoid to become a human being .Every one has political,social and many affiliation as per their choices but this creature has vowed to cross every line which makes one a human being.He is crazy and lunatic .
But what he is practicing is not journalism. Then how can he go down in the history of journalism? I think you will have find some new nomenclature for what this man is doing every day
There is a virus amongs men that may not harm the physical body directly but harm the political directly.
Arnab to BJP Ka chatukari ta hai.Jail ma Dalo sala Arnab KO.bjp Ka dalal….
Congress is the past master when it comes to harassing media people. Congress knows and has retained all the tricks used against print media during the infamous Emergency of 1975-77. If it can do so much to harass Arnab Goswami, being just a partner in a State coalition government, imagine what it could have done had it been in power!
I do not like Goswami’s style of journalism at all.
I do not know how he was given any awards for his “journalism”. It is sheer puerile screaming.
He never speaks, just yells over anyone who disagrees with him and “thinks” he has won the argument.
Like a two year old throwing tantrums.
Nevertheless that doesn’t give the right to anyone to assault him dangerously while driving and distracting him, which could have resulted in his/his passenger’s death, serious injury or of some innocent road user- pedestrian or a vehicle user.
There has no action being taken whatsoever against the perpetrators although they have been identified and were apprehended. The authorities have conveniently connived at the primary undisputed offenders.
All allegations against ARNAB are bogus.
Arnab gau- Swamy is a big liar…he has to see the gallows, it’s too much now…..this gau bhakt is trying to fool every one under the shelter of BJP goonda Raj… justice wil prevail and this goonda wil be behind bars soon along with his godi media troupe…..
Jaffar bhai, zhoot maat boliye – and please no foul language – at least show some respect for Ramadan. You are insulting the rest of us who believe in being pious during this time.
And your name says it all.
arnab is lier and RSS minded person. He is not a jounalist but he is a agent of RSS and Bjp.