Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami, his wife attacked, Mumbai Police arrest 2 persons
Mumbai, April 23, 2020: Two persons have been arrested by Mumbai Police in connection with attack on Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami (47) and his wife early morning today while they were driving home from their studios. Both Arnab and his wife Republic Editor Samyabrata Ray were unhurt in the attack.
Based on a complaint from Arnab Goswami, an FIR was registered with NM Joshi Marg police station against two persons. “We have arrested two persons in connection with the attack on Arnab Goswami and his wife. The case is registered under section 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)”, said DCP (Zone 3).
Later in a video, Goswami blamed Congress leaders for the attack and challenged Congress president Sonia Gandhi calling her a “coward”. “At around 12:15 am, I was driving back from the studio with my wife. My car was overtaken by two people in two bikes. They turned to me, pointed at me, they started hitting my car and trying to break the windowpane. They were throwing some sort of liquid at the vehicle. They had tailed me and they were given information by higher-ups to attack me. I want to tell you, Sonia Gandhi, you are the biggest coward in the country right now. You have no guts to face me and I will hold you personally responsible. If anything were to happen to me, Sonia Gandhi will be responsible”, Arnab Goswami said in a video message.
Yesterday, in a news discussion on the Palghar lynching of Hindu seers, Arnab had attacked Sonia Gandhi’s silence, reportedly saying she was “happy” now and would not have been quiet if saints from minority community faced the attack. This had provoked criticism from numerous Congress leaders.
Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar said, “We condemn the attempt to attack Arnab Goswami. We condemn every attack on any journalist. This is against democracy and, ironically, 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 takes action if there is a complaint.”
Statement of Arnab Goswami to Mumbai Police
“On 23rd, April 2020, at 12:10 am this morning, my wife and Republic Editor Samyabrata Ray and I were driving back home from our Republic TV Headquarters at Bombay Dyeing Compound at Worli, Mumbai. At around 12:15 am, when we reached Ganpatrao Kadam Marg, 2 men on a bike followed our car and tried to overtake it. These 2 men first tried to identify who was driving the car. They stretched out their arms, pointed their fingers at me and then blocked the path of my car with their 2 wheeler.
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 a liquid bottle from his pocket and threw liquid all over the car on the driver’s side of the car where I was sitting. All through, both were shouting and abusing in Hindi while making violent gestures. I ducked my head towards the steering wheel and managed to get sight of the road ahead and pressed on the accelerator swerving to my left to avoid the 2 wheeler that was blocking the path. And while I did so, the pillion tried to bang on the door another time, threw more liquid, kicked on the door, and made abusive gestures while I swerved back to the middle of the road and was able to drive away.
When I reached some distance (about 50 metres approximately) and saw in my rearview window that the attackers had been apprehended by the Mumbai Police protection team, comprising Mr Shivaji Hosmani and Mr Avinash Natekar along with my office guard Mahendra Kale. I swerved to my right towards my building and once I reached my building in 2/3 minutes, I waited in the parking area where I was informed by my office security personnel Mahindra Kale that the attackers had been apprehended. Mumbai police personnel arrived in another 5 minutes and Mr Shivaji Hosmani who is deputed for my protection informed me that the attackers had identified themselves as members of the Youth Congress who had been sent by higher-ups to teach me a lesson.
Within 10 minutes Police Inspector of NM Joshi Marg Mr Yogendra Pache came in and in his presence, the entire account was repeated by Shivaji Hosmani, my Mumbai Police Security personnel about the attack on me by Youth Congress workers. After another 10-15 minutes, DCP Abhinash Kumar reached my parking lot and to put things on the record, Mr Shivaji Hosmani recounted for the third time the whole incident and that the attackers were from the Youth Congress. At this point I offered to go and file an FIR at the NM Joshi Marg police station. DCP Abhinash told me there was no need to do so immediately and that he would make sure the complaint was written and call me later to verify facts. However when I did not get after one and half hour, I called my colleague Sanjay Pathak who was at the NM Joshi Marg police station who informed me that DCP Abhinash said it’s a matter of investigation whether they (attackers) belong to Youth Congress or about their confession to the role in the attack.
This was a clear u-turn and an attempt to change the facts and I confronted the DCP on the phone in 2 separate conversations of which I have due recording. I went to the NM Joshi Police station at 3:30 am and was shocked when the DCP lied to my face saying that the Youth Congress attack on me was not known to him and that he will have to investigate the matter. I must place on record that I had to make multiple requests in the presence of my colleagues to get an FIR registered which amounts to pure harassment from a citizen who has been subjected to an assault by the ruling party in the state. Once again at the police station my Mumbai Police security personnel, Shivaji told me (now for the 5th time) that the people apprehended had confessed that they were from the Youth Congress.
At the Police Station, my colleague Sanjay Pathak informed me that he was informed by the Officers at the NM Joshi Marg Police Station that the attackers had been identified as Prateek Kumar Shyam Sundar Mishra and Arun Dilip Borade (videos and pictures are with us). I would also like to place on record that at 3 am, within 2 hour 45 minutes of the attack, Congress leader Alka Lamba tweeted `Yuva Congress Zindabad’ using her verified social media handle. This celebration of the attack on me further reinforces my belief that this attack on me and my wife Samyabrata Ray has been orchestrated by Sonia Gandhi and her close circle of Congress leaders at a time when we have raised serious questions about her accountability in several cases, including the attack on Hindu monks in Palghar on 16 April.
I would like to place on record that there is considerable evidence that top Congress leaders have been carrying out an attempt to incite towards a violent attack on me personally and the Republic Network. Senior Congress leaders have suggested the `modus operandi’ of the attack on me. So it cannot be a coincidence that a physical attack on me follows a series of threatening and violence laced comments by leaders loyal to Sonia Gandhi. I would also like to place on record that on my network, I have questioned and exposed the lies of Sonia Gandhi and her daughter Priyanka Vadra who had tried to spread fake news regarding segregation of COVID patients in Gujarat on April 15.
I suspect and am concerned that there could be an attempt to conceal the fact that this was a clear attack orchestrated by Sonia Gandhi and the Congress leadership on me and my wife, Samyabrata Ray – Editor Republic TV. We are both working journalists with more than 20 years in this profession and won’t be cowed down by this cowardly attack which cannot have happened without the go-ahead of Sonia Gandhi. In particular, I would like to mention, that on Sonia Gandhi’s instruction, a series of orchestrated FIRs have been filed against me for asking questions directly from Sonia Gandhi on her silence on the Palghar issue.
A simple investigation will reveal that these FIRs followed social media abuse and threat by Congress leaders. As journalists, we will not be cowed down by such assaults and my team at Republic are determined to ask the question that makes the Vadra Congress and Sonia uncomfortable, as we do, of all. I hope this matter will not be covered up and investigated and I’m ready to cooperate to follow up in any way. I would also like to place on record that if there is any untoward incident or harm to me or those associated with me, I will hold Sonia Gandhi and the Vadra family personally responsible given the history of their malice and violence towards me and my team.”
