Arnab Goswami’s car allegedly attacked in Mumbai; two held

Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami was allegedly attacked by two bike-borne persons late on Wednesday. The editor was returning home along with his wife when the attack took place. The attackers were caught by his security personnel and were handed over to the police. Both Arnab and his wife Samia Goswami were unhurt in the attack.

Goswami in his complaint to police said, “Around 12.15 am when we reached Ganpatrao Kadam Marg, two men followed our car and tried to overtake.” These two attackers initially tried to identify the driver following which they stretched their arm pointing at him and then blocked his path.

“The pillion rider hit the right side driver window several times and then, these attackers realised that the car window was up and they couldn’t break through and immediately, the pillion rider removed the liquid bottle from his pocket and threw liquid all over the car on the driver’s side where I was sitting,” said Goswami in his statement to police.

He further added that while the two were shouting and abusing him in Hindi while making violent gestures, he had ducked his head towards the steering wheel and managed to get sight of the road ahead and pressed on the accelerator swerving to his left.

After he managed to get back on the road, Goswami said that when he saw on his read view mirror, the protection provided by the Mumbai police and his personal security guard had got hold of the two.

The patrolling police from the NM Joshi Marg police station noticed that few people had gathered at a spot at Ganpatrao Kadam Marg. “When we went close to them and inquired, we learnt that the two had attacked Goswami,” said an official. They then called for a backup following which the two were taken to NM Joshi Marg police station.

The police then recorded the statement of Goswami following which a case was registered under sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. The two accused identified as Arun Borade and Prateek Mishra were arrested.

An investigator said, “We have learnt that they are affiliated with the youth Congress wing in Sion which we are trying to confirm. We are trying to get more information on them.”

The incident happened a day after an FIR was registered against Goswami for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Congress president Sonia Gandhi during his TV show.

The Chhattisgarh unit of the Congress lodged a formal complaint against Goswami, editor-in-chief and founder of Republic TV channel, and accused him of “deliberately making inflammatory statements” and using derogatory language against Sonia Gandhi in his show.

 Arnab Goswami, editor-in-chief and founder of Republic TV channel. (File Photo)

In Maharashtra, state Youth Congress (YC) president Satyajeet Tambe said he had filed a complaint against Goswami in Sangamner and instructed YC workers to file complaints in all districts. In Nagpur, state Power Minister Nitin Raut’s son Kunal, a YC office-bearer, filed a similar complaint.

Reacting to the attack on Arnab, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said, “We condemn the attempt to attack Arnab Goswami. We condemn every attack on any journalist. This is against democracy and it is really ironical that those who preach tolerance have become so intolerant. Therefore we condemn this attempt.”

“We appeal to the collective wisdom that this is undemocratic and as per present law Police definitely takes action if there is a complaint,” ANI quoted Javadekar as saying.