The Uddhav Thackeray Government in Maharashtra has made it a mission to go down as one of the most tyrannical government in the history of India. From targeting journalists to actors on baseless grounds, the government is doing everything in its power to suppress criticism. In a latest, the Maharashtra police has filed a charge sheet against Arnab Goswami in the Anvay Naik matter, even after the Supreme Court explicitly stated that as prima facie, it could not be held that Goswami had abetted suicide in the case.
The Raigad police on Friday filed a charge sheet before a court in Alibaug against Goswami and two others in the alleged case of suicide. The trio are charged under Section 306 (abetment of suicide) and Section 109 (punishment of abetment if the act abetted is committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment) of the Indian Penal Code.
This action, no doubt, arose in furtherance to the state government’s vendetta. Earlier this week, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had said the police would soon be filing a “strong charge sheet” in the case against Arnab Goswami. This statement is clearly an open disregard of the Apex Court’s order given during Goswami’s bail application hearing.
The Supreme Court on 11th November had released Arnab Goswami on bail and had pronounced the speaking order for the same on 27th November. Pronouncing the verdict, Justice Chandrachud said that prima facie, it could not be held that Goswami had abetted the suicide of Anvay Naik. The apex court further stated, “…we are clearly of the view that in failing to make even a prima facie evaluation of the FIR, the High Court abdicated its constitutional duty and function as a protector of liberty.”
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Clearly recognising the biased vendetta against Goswami, the Supreme Court further said, “The doors of this Court cannot be closed to a citizen who is able to establish prima facie that the instrumentality of the State is being weaponised for using the force of criminal law.”
This charge sheet of Raigad police comes a day after Arnab Goswami filed an interim application in the Bombay High Court seeking a stay on the filing of charge sheet and further proceedings in the case. In the petition, Goswami said that the state machinery was interfering in the case with a “malafide premeditated diktat to the law and order officers” and further claimed that the Maharashtra Government’s announcement of reinvestigation reeked of the “malice, spiteful nature and vendetta of the political dispensation.”
Understanding fully well that Maharashtra Government had a biased vendetta against him, Goswami in his petition sought transfer of the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation or any other independent investigating agency outside the purview of Maharashtra government.
Goswami, in his petition, outlined how the Maharashtra Government has been unauthorisedly involved in the case. He sought to indicate how the entire investigation is politically scripted and prejudged to target an independent journalist. Now, with this latest chargesheet, Goswami’s words are coming to life. Even after the Supreme Court has stated that there is no prima facie case, the state machinery is decidedly harassing citizens. Clearly, by hook or by crook, Uddhav Thackeray is looking for victory against Arnab, but unfortunately for him, there is none in sight.
