What does the arrest of Arnab Goswami reflect?

Date 5th November 2020, Wednesday early morning, the Maharashtra Police arrest Republic TV owner and editor-in-chief, Arnab Goswami over a 2018 suicide case. In 2018, Anvay Naik, an architect and his mother died by suicide over alledged unpaid dues by Arnab Goswami. According to the report, Arnab Goswami had not paid 84 lacs to Anvay Naik from the total sum of rupees 5.4 crores. Anvay Naik had also written Arnab Goswami’s name in the suicide note. The case was closed in 2018 but now it’s reopened again and the investigation is on. link for the same is below.

What is the suicide case in which Republic TV's Arnab Goswami has been arrested by Maharashtra…

Let’s get deep down into this case with facts and details. Everyone knows Arnab Goswami has openly uttered garbage about Maharashtra government in his T.V. Channel, and now several FIR’s have been filed on him in different cases. First TRP Scam, everybody knows that scandal was running to manipulate the TRP to get more ads in his channel. But Mumbai police didn’t found the evidence till now although the investigation is still on. Now a 2018 closed case against him is opened over the alleged suicide of Anvay Naik and his mother. people in the media houses have criticised this move reporting it as a danger to freedom of speech and attack on freedom of the press in the country. After the sudden arrest of Arnab Goswami, people from the top of BJP have tweeted in support of Arnab and saying this move as the killing of freedom of the press. few names of topmost BJP leader who tweeted in support of him are Amit Shah, Smriti Irani, Prakash Javedkar( Information and broadcast minister), Yogi Adityanath(U.P. C.M.), Shivraj Singh Chauhan(current M.P. C.M.) etc. Tweets from these top leaders for a private news channel editor shows how deeply they are connected. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/union-ministers-prakash-javadekar-smriti-irani-condemn-arnab-goswamis-arrest/article33019307.ece

Although the way Maharashtra government is misusing their power is awfully wrong, I would like to highlight several incidents that literally had suppressed the freedom of the press in our country.

1. FIR was filed against around 50 journalists just for reporting on mismanagement on covid-19. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/jul/31/india-arrests-50-journalists-in-clampdown-on-critics-of-covid-19-response
2. Journalist Pawan Kumar Jaiswal got arrested for exposing mid-day meal problem in Mirzapur, U.P. as salt and chapati were served to children. https://www.firstpost.com/india/arrest-of-journalist-pawan-kumar-jaiswal-in-uttar-pradesh-for-exposing-irregularities-mid-day-meal-blot-on-indian-democracy-7275221.html
3. FIR was filed against a journalist just for posting online against CM, PM. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/up-fir-against-journalist-for-online-post-against-pm-cm-6352480/
4. Journalists in U.P. protest in the Ganga river against harassment by the administration. https://www.newslaundry.com/2020/06/08/uttar-pradesh-fatehpurs-journalists-stand-in-the-ganga-to-protest-against-harassment-by-administration
5. A reporter is being arrested under UAPA act for posting photographs of J&K in social media showing condition after article 370 abrogation. https://thewire.in/media/kashmiri-photojournalist-charged-under-uapa-for-unspecified-social-media-posts
6. Siddique Kappan got arrested for reporting Hathras case before even reaching to the spot. https://scroll.in/latest/975573/hathras-case-sc-asks-arrested-kerala-journalist-to-move-allahabad-high-court#:~:text=Siddique%20Kappan%20was%20arrested%20from,murder%20of%20a%20Dalit%20girl.&text=On%20Tuesday%2C%20they%20were%20remanded,a%20local%20court%20in%20Mathura.
7. Income tax raid and harassment were done by the administration on Vinod Dua. https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/hc-stays-investigation-in-criminal-case-against-vinod-dua-says-proceedings-to-cause-harassment/1863217
8. A journalist was shot dead in U.P in front of her daughter. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/journalist-shot-daughters-ghaziabad-dies-opposition-jungle-raj-up-developments-1703202-2020-07-22 https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/journalist-shot-dead-in-up-second-such-incident-with-a-month-1714681-2020-08-25
9. The unforgettable The journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead. Read more at https://www.deccanherald.com/metrolife/metrolife-your-bond-with-bengaluru/gauri-murder-case-awaits-closure-882146.html

There are several more incidents which are left or didn’t get the attention. And for the note, India is being ranked 142 on Global press freedom index among 180 Countries. So this is not the first time when a journalist is being attacked and the kind of witch-hunt he did on Sushant Singh Rajput suicide case on Rhea Chakraborty without any proof, on the contrast, there is the name of Arnab in Anvay’s suicide note. This whole incident depicts how Karma works and the way power is being misused from both sides.

Here I complete my first blog. Share your views and opinions in the comments. I will write on several social issues, current scenarios, political blogs and analysis, reviews etc. Also if you like my work please support it by liking this blog, sharing it with your friends and family and share your valuable comments on how I can improve my upcoming blogs. Thank you and stay tuned.