"Innocent, custody not required": Seven Grounds raised by Arnab Goswami in his bail plea

Republic TV Editor-in-Chief, Arnab Goswami has sought regular bail before the Sessions Court, Alibaug in the FIR (CR No. 59 of 2018) registered in connection with the case of abetment to suicide of interior designer, Anvay Naik and his mother Kumud Naik..The bail application was filed on Monday a little before his plea for interim bail was rejected by the Bombay High Court. .It has been alleged that Goswami was brutally dragged out of his house when he was arrested.."His family and he were brutally manhandled, verbally and physically assaulted by the police officers and the Petitioner was dragged by his body out of the house in front of his family and taken in custody," the plea adds..Below are the grounds raised by Goswami in his plea for bail:.InnocentGoswami has maintained that he is innocent and has not committed any offence."The present applicant is falsely implicated in the alleged offence," the plea states. .Investigation already conducted and closure report filedThis was one of the main grounds which Goswami had raised before the Bombay High Court as well.In his bail application too, he has highlighted this aspect submitting that investigation into the alleged offence was commenced in 2018 and closed in 2019. ."Investigation was already conducted by Alibaug Police station and 'A Summary' report was submitted through DYSP Raigad which was accepted by Chief Judicial Magistrate, Alibaug," the plea states..Further, investigation is now being conducted without challenging the said order of closing the probe and he has been arrested illegally, Goswami has submitted. .Custody is not requiredGoswami has stated in his bail application that his custody is not required since the remand report mentions the need to seize some documents from the third party contractors alone and not Goswami.."In any event, all the material alleged to be seized is of documentary nature and custody of the present Applicant is not required for further investigation," the application submits..Ingredients of offence not made outIt is also his case that as per the allegations in the FIR, the ingredients of Section 306 of Indian Penal Code (on abetment of suicide) is not at all made out and there is no proximity in respect of the alleged incidence of suicide and allegations against Goswami. .Witnesses already examinedThe plea points out that after the re-opening of investigation, statements of witnesses under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure has been recorded by the investigating agency and hence, Goswami's custody is no more required..No intention to avoid paymentsGoswami has claimed that there was no intention on the part of his company, ARG Outlier Media to avoid making any payments to Anvay Naik. All payments legitimately due and payable to Naik's company, Concorde were made by ARG in terms of the Work Orders. "However, due to the defects and other breaches of the Work Orders, the last three installments were withheld till the rectification of such defects in accordance with the terms agreed to between the parties in the Work Orders," it has been claimed. .The bail application was filed after the Bombay High Court made it clear on Monday that if any bail application is filed by Goswami in Sessions Court, then the same would be decided by the Court within 4 days..Ready to co-operate, not a flight riskBesides the above grounds, Goswami has also submitted that he is ready to co-operate with the investigating agency, will not tamper with prosecution witnesses and being a permanent resident of Mumbai and a journalist of repute, is unlikely to abscond. .Goswami was remanded to 14-day judicial custody by the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Alibaug in a late night order passed on Wednesday. However, the CJM granted leave to the Raigad police to interrogate Goswami till bail was granted to him..The Bombay High Court on Monday rejected his interim bail application while asking him to approach Sessions court.