Republic TV owner and editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami was arrested by Maharashtra police in connection with a 2018 abetment to suicide case. He claimed that Raigad police assaulted him during the arrest. Two photographs are now being shared on social media with claims that they depict Goswami being brutally beaten by the police.
BJP spokesperson Gaurav Goel tweeted the pictures and wrote, “Can’t believe he is #ArnabGoswami.”
Can’t believe he is #ArnabGoswami
If it’s real…..Maharashtra Govt has asked for the dooms day.I m terribly Perturbed.#महाराष्ट्र_सरकार_बरखास्त_करो @TajinderBagga pic.twitter.com/80l4iwJGq1
— Gaurav Goel (@goelgauravbjp) November 4, 2020
One Sudhir Mishra also tweeted the images. He is followed by BJP leaders Kapil Mishra and Tajinder Bagga. “Such pictures are coming in. Is this the truth? Will Hindutva soldiers be attacked in this manner? Open your eyes and see, two policemen have held his legs, another has kept a foot on his chest and they are thrashing him with a belt,” wrote Mishra (archive).
(Translated from: कुछ ऐसी तस्वीरें आ रही हैं. क्या यह सच्चाई है ?? क्या हिंदुत्व के सिपाही ऐसे ही मारे जाएंगे, देख लो आँख खोलकर, दो पुलिसवालों ने पैर पकड़ रखा है, एक ने सीने पर पैर रखा है….और बेल्ट से मार रहा.)
कुछ ऐसी तस्वीरें आ रही हैं
क्या यह सच्चाई है ?? 😪क्या हिंदुत्व के सिपाही ऐसे ही मारे जाएंगे, देख लो आँख खोलकर, दो पुलिसवालों ने पैर पकड़ रखा है, एक ने सीने पर पैर रखा है….और बेल्ट से मार रहा…#ArnabGoswami
😡😡 pic.twitter.com/jdmWZRLnfg— Sudhir Mishra (@Sudhir_mishr) November 4, 2020
Another handle ‘मै भी अर्नब (I too am Arnab)’ with the username @Prajjval_ also promoted the claim. This handle is followed by railway minister Piyush Goyal.
यह खाकी का जूता अर्नब पर नहीं है ,, ये वो इटालियन की जूती पूरे भारत के हिन्दु और हिन्दुत्व को रौंद रही है..
यह बेल्ट से उसकी खाल नहीं उधेड़ी जा रही है .. यह तुम्हारी और हमारी चमड़ी अंगरेजों के द्वारा उधेड़ती रही है
पत्रकार हूँ कोई आंतकवादी नहीं हूँ।
💞🙏#शुभरात्रि मित्रों🙏💞 pic.twitter.com/icteGpSUwg
— श्रीष त्रिपाठी 🇮🇳 (@Shrish_1987) November 4, 2020
The pictures are also widespread on Facebook. It garnered over 300 shares in an hour on the group ‘We support CAB and NRC’.
Old incident from UP
The pictures currently being shared do not represent Arnab Goswami’s arrest. It depicts an incident that took place in Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria district earlier in January. According to a News18 report published on January 10, 2020, “A shocking video of three policemen brutally assaulting a man inside a police station in Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria district recently surfaced, following which the cops were suspended and an FIR ordered against them on Friday.”
Vishweshwar Tiwari, a resident of Mahen village under Madanpur Police Station, filed a complaint against Sumit Goswami on January 8. He claimed that Sumit had stolen his mobile phone. The cops brought the accused to the police station and beat him up without even conducting an investigation.
A video of the incident was uploaded on YouTube on January 9.
(Warning: Visuals may be distressing for some. Viewer discretion is advised.)
Furthermore, visuals of Arnab Goswami’s arrest were widely reported, including by Republic TV. The video shows cops dragging Goswami out of his house as he resists arrest.
It is noteworthy that Goswami’s allegations of assault were rejected by Alibaug court. A second FIR was filed by the police against the Republic TV editor on charges of “assaulting a lady officer” when a police team reached his Mumbai residence.
Snapshots of an old video of UP police brutally assaulting an alleged mobile phone thief has been shared with the false claim that it depicts Arnab Goswami beaten by Maharashtra police. The pictures were also shared as satire however we were unable to confirm if this is what started the trend.
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