NEW DELHI: Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami, and the two other accused in the 2018 abetment to suicide case, have been denied interim bail by the Bombay high court. However, the accused still have the liberty to approach the sessions court for regular bail. 

The bench comprising Justice SS Shinde and MS Karnik had a special sitting today to pronounce orders that were reserved on Saturday evening after a six-hour-long hearing. 

“Rejection of interim application shall not be construed as an impediment to the petitioner seeking alternate remedies. Observations are prima facie in nature confined to the present application only,” the bench said in the order.

Read our coverage of the 2018 abetment case

Earlier in the day, Goswami has moved a regular bail application in the Alibaug sessions court seeking his release from judicial custody. Bombay high court has asked the lower court to decide on the bail application within four days of filing.

Goswami was arrested on the morning of 4 November in a case registered by the Raigad police in 2018 for allegedly abetting the suicide of an interior designer, Anvay Naik and his mother Kumud Naik. He was remanded to judicial custody by CJM Alibag and was kept at a local school which has been designated as a Covid2019 centre for the Alibaug prison. Yesterday, he was shifted to Taloja Jail in Navi Mumbai on allegation of using a mobile phone while in judicial custody.