Published 19:13 IST, November 11th 2020
BJP's Ram Kadam hails Supreme Court's decision to grant bail to Arnab Goswami
As the Supreme Court granted bail to Arnab Goswami, BJP's Ram Kadam took to Twitter announcing the news and slamming the Maharashtra govt.
As the Supreme Court granted interim bail to Arnab Goswami, Maharashtra BJP MLA Ram Kadam has not held himself back in lambasting the Uddhav Thackeray led state Government. Taking to Twitter, the BJP leader said, "Tight slap on Maharashtra Government's face. Arnab Goswami gets bail, Supreme Court's decision. MVA government should apologise to the entire nation."
Earlier in the day, Ram Kadam had written to President Ram Nath Kovind over Arnab Goswami's illegal arrest and demanded the president's intervention.
"The present government in Maharashtra has crossed all limits in their pursuit of vendetta politics. Arrest and alleged physical assaults on senior journalist Arnab Goswami are shameful attacks on the fourth pillar of democracy. I, as a citizen of this country humbly request you to save the essence of true democracy by providing justice to senior journalist Arnab Goswami," Kadam said in his letter.
On Tuesday, Ram Kadam had met Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh to express his outrage over Arnab Goswami's illegal arrest and asked him to take cognizance of the Mumbai Police's aggressive actions in the case. He was even detained by the Mumbai Police while marching peacefully from Hutatma Chowk to the Mantralaya in Mumbai.
While speaking on the matter he said, "In Maharashtra, there is Raavan Raj. We were marching from Hutatma Chowk to Maharashtra Home Minister's office over the emergency that has been unleashed in Maharashtra. We were doing everything peacefully but we were stopped, shoved in police vans by Mumbai Police and taken."
Supreme Court's decisive judgement
The Supreme Court in its hearing on Wednesday highlighted the importance of personal liberty and also sent out a message to the High Courts across the country. A two-judge bench consisting of Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Indira Banerjee was hearing Arnab's plea challenging the Bombay High Court order rejecting his interim bail plea and demanding quashing of FIR against him by the Mumbai Police. During the hearing, Justice Chandrachud pointed out that a case of abetment cannot be made if active incitement and encouragement are not involved.
The SC asked, "If money is owed to a person, is that a case of Abetment to suicide?" Highlighting personal liberty, the top Court further asked, "Assuming the FIR is the gospel truth and that's a matter of investigation but is not paying up money Abetment to suicide? It will be a Travesty of justice if bail is not granted while FIR is pending?"
When the lawyers at the opposite side argued, that the top court shouldn't interfere as the matter is pending in the sessions court, the SC bench said, "Technicality cannot be a ground to deny someone personal liberty. This is not a case of terrorism."
Terming that if Courts do not interfere in the case, it will be injustice, the Supreme Court bench noted, "Travelling to the path of destruction if the court does not interfere today. Whatever be his ideology, lest I don't even watch his channel but if in this case, constitutional courts do not interfere today - we are travelling the path of destruction undeniably."
The Supreme Court also came down heavily on action taken by the Maharashtra government against Arnab, as narrated by Senior advocate Harish Salve in the top court. "Our democracy is extraordinarily resilient. Governments must ignore all this. This is not the basis on which elections are fought."
Updated 19:13 IST, November 11th 2020