You can hate him or love him, but you can’t ignore controversy’s favourite child Arnab Goswami, Editor-In-Chief of Republic TV. 

On Wednesday, Arnab Goswami was arrested by the Raigad police in connection with an old abetment to a suicide case. 

He has been arrested for allegedly abetting the suicide of a 53-year-old interior designer. Anvay Naik, an architect and interior designer had named Goswami in his suicide note and had accused Republic TV of not paying him his dues after he designed the channel's interiors.

ZeeNews reported that a police official said that an architect and his mother committed suicide in 2018 over alleged non-payment of dues by Republic TV. 

The senior journalist was sent to 14-day judicial custody by the Alibaug court on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, several BJP leaders and Union Ministers condemned Arnab’s arrest as a reminder of the Emergency.

Landing in controversies is not new for Arnab Goswami. In fact, there are several unexplored facts about Arnab, that many people may not be aware of

Here is a list of six interesting facts about this fierce journalist that the nation wants to know: 

1. He Was Accused Of Faking A Car Attack

In 2017, Rajdeep Sardesai had written: “Wow! My friend Arnab claims his car attacked next to CM Res in Guj riots! Truth: he wasn't covering Ahmedabad riots!!"

Wow! My friend Arnab claims his car attacked next to CM Res in Guj riots! Truth:he wasn't covering Ahmedabad riots!! https://t.co/xOe7zY8rCp

— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) September 19, 2017

He also tweeted: “Fekugiri has its limits, but seeing this, I feel sorry for my profession." 

The incident was actually described by Sardesai in his book 2014: The Election That Changed India. He wrote, “The gang wasn't willing to listen. 'Hamein chief minister se matlab nahi, aap log apna identity dikha' (We don't care about the chief minister. Show your identity cards). I showed my official press card and got my cameraperson, Narendra, to play a clip from the interview with Modi. 'Look,' I shouted, 'look at this interview. Can't you see we are journalists?' After fifteen tense minutes and after watching the tape, they seemed to calm down a bit and we were finally allowed to go. 

Our trembling driver Siraj was in tears. My own fear at a near-death experience was now replaced by a seething rage. If, just a few kilometres from the chief minister's house, Hindu militant gangs were roaming freely on the night of 2 March, then how could the chief minister claim the situation was under control? We were unnerved and visibly shaken. Images of those crazed faces and their shining weapons haunted me for days afterwards."

2. His Wife Is Also A Journalist

Samyabrata Ray Goswami, the wife of Arnab, is also a journalist and news producer who is currently the editor and co-owner of Arnab’s channel. 

She began her career as a print media journalist and has worked in several publications, such as Anand Bazaar Patrika, Tehelka and Down to Earth. She worked with ABP till Arnab launched Republic TV. 

She is also known for breaking the news of Sheena Bora being the daughter of Indrani Mukerjea and not sister. 

3. He Has ‘Y’ Category Security

Arnab’s 'Y' category security includes round-the-clock protection from around 11 personnel and 1 or 2 armed commandos for close proximity protection.

4. His First Interview Was With Sonia Gandhi

Being a journalist, Arnab’s first-ever interview was with Congress leader, Sonia Gandhi. 

It is this interview that got him accolades for bringing the otherwise reticent Sonia Gandhi for an interview.

However, on being asked about the one person he tried to interview but failed so far, he said, “As a young reporter, I was able to get Sonia Gandhi’s interview on the tarmac of the Palam Airport. Some short interactions in the years after that. But I would really like the opportunity for a sit-down interview with her."

5. Debating Was His Passion Right From School

Known for his aggressive style of anchoring, Arnab revealed in an interview that debating was his school hobby. 

“Earlier, in the studio, I used to have very calm, quiet discussions…so I used to really miss debating. Later, when I got the chance to start a new channel of my own, then I really came back to my old habits. And the last 7-8 years, my hobby, school hobby of debating, has become my career. And I have never enjoyed myself more on a daily basis,” he told a radio channel.

6. He Loves Bollywood & Occasional Reading

In one of his earlier interviews with Scroll.in he mentioned that he loves Bollywood besides news. 

He said, “I love Bollywood. I watched Tanu Weds Manu Returns and loved it. I read, but not as much as I should. Fiction is not really my cup of tea. I am currently lapping up Coomi Kapoor’s book on the Emergency.”

7. He Hails From A Political Family

Arnab's father, Manoranjan Goswami is a retired Indian Army officer and a BJP member, who has contested as a BJP candidate in the general election, from Guwahati. 

His paternal grandfather, Rajani Kanta Goswami was a lawyer and Congress leader. And his maternal grandfather, Gauri Sankar Bhattacharya was a communist and leader of the opposition for many years in Assam. 

However, on being asked about his political leanings, he said, “I never describe myself in definitions because it’s very difficult to do that. The reason I’m telling you this is because socially, I’m very progressive. I’m for LGBT rights, etc. On issues related to India, I’m very conservative. On issues related to the economy, I’m for the free market. On issues related to religion, I myself go to all places of worship, so I’m truly secular in that sense. I’m neither AAPtard, Congi or Sanghi; I’m Arnab. I don’t want to waste my time trying to define myself.”

Meanwhile, besides the charges of abetment to suicide, Arnab's arrest also comes in the middle of Republic TV's row with the Mumbai Police over its investigation into a ratings scam and allegations that Republic TV is among the three channels involved in manipulating TRPs or Television Rating Points by bribing households metred for viewership.

Republic TV recently said in a statement: "Arnab Goswami's arrest has been made part of a larger vindictive exercise against an independent journalist and news network."

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