Mumbai: Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami and two others were granted bail Wednesday in a case of abetment to suicide dating back to 2018.
The case involves the suicide deaths of Anvay Naik, a Mumbai-based interior designer, and his mother Kumud Naik, on 5 May 2018 at their bungalow in Alibaug in Raigad district of Maharashtra. A one-page suicide note that the police found at the spot named Goswami, Neetish Sarda of Smartworks and Firoz Shaikh of IcastX/Skimedia, for allegedly failing to pay dues of Rs 83 lakh, Rs 55 lakh and Rs 4 crore, respectively, to Anvay Naik’s company, Concorde Designs Private Limited.
The Raigad police had closed the case last year after filing ‘A Summary Report’, which is done when allegations in a complaint are found to be true, but there’s no evidence to prosecute. However, the case was reopened in October this year with the police claiming fresh evidence had come to light. The police also said the complainant, Naik’s wife Akshata, was not given a chance to have her say before the case was closed. On 4 November, the police arrested Goswami, Sarda and Shaikh.
However, documents accessed by ThePrint from the Registrar of Companies show that Anvay Naik and Concorde Designs’ financial distress ran much deeper than just the money these three individuals’ firms allegedly didn’t pay up.
By 2016, Concorde was suffering heavy losses, had debt close to Rs 20 crore and several disputes with tax authorities. Until 2012, Anvay Naik was also director and shareholder in a construction firm, Om Atharva Realtors Private Limited, co-owned by a local Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) functionary from Thane, Manoj Pradhan. This company too was making losses before it was eventually ‘struck-off’, meaning removed from the Registrar of Companies listing.
ThePrint approached Anvay Naik’s wife Akshata and daughter Adnya for comments about this report through calls and text messages, but they didn’t respond. Their lawyer, Vaibhav Karnik, said: “Anvay Naik may have had ups and downs earlier and faced losses in his firm and due to his other business engagements, but he came out of it. He bounced back. In this case, we have evidence that there was a concerted effort to pressurise him, which seemed to be the final trigger.”
On behalf of the police, Ashok Dudhe, Raigad’s superintendent, said: “We are still investigating the case so I cannot comment on this now.”
Also read: Probe into architect Anvay Naik’s suicide was derailed because of Arnab Goswami, says family
25% shares in loss-making Om Atharva
In 2006, Naik, who was already managing director of Concorde Designs Pvt Ltd, associated himself with another company, Om Atharva Realtors Private Limited, less than a month after it was incorporated.
Documents from the Registrar of Companies show that Om Atharva filed its last annual returns and balance sheet for the financial year ending March 2012, showing that the company had no income, a loss of a measly sum of Rs 470, and some cash dealings to do with land assets that were not elaborated upon in the filings.
A balance sheet filed for the year 2010-11 shows that Om Atharva, in which Naik was a designated signatory for all documents, had advances receivable of Rs 2.63 crore, and payable of Rs 6.41 crore. The documents also show that the company had no work in progress.
Om Atharva Realtors has been ‘struck-off’ by the Registrar of Companies — a company cannot perform any operations once it has been struck off. If a company has not started its business operations within a year of its incorporation, or has not been actively carrying on any business for two financial years, and hasn’t made an application for obtaining the status of a dormant company, the Registrar of Companies can strike it off. The company itself can also apply for it.
Naik held 25 per cent of Om Atharva’s shares, NCP’s Manoj Pradhan held 50 per cent, while the other 25 per cent were held by one Shailendra Maheshwar Kumar.
Pradhan, Naik’s co-director, became a controversial figure. He was briefly appointed the chief of NCP’s Thane unit in 2014, but went on to be embroiled in an alleged fraud involving funds of a temple trust, of which he was the chairman. In 2018, the Thane rural police booked him for allegedly misappropriating funds of the Vajreshwari temple trust to the tune of Rs 3.22 crore.
Anand Paranjape, the current Thane NCP president, told ThePrint: “Pradhan is now neither a functionary in the party nor active in its affairs, even as a karyakarta (worker). We have no record of where he is, or what his contact details are.”
Also read: The 6 cases filed against Arnab Goswami & Republic TV in Maharashtra since 2018
Debt of nearly Rs 20 crore
Anvay Naik owned 60 per cent of Concorde Designs, which had entered into a contract with ARG Outlier Media, which owns Republic TV, for designing its newsroom at Mumbai’s Bombay Dyeing Mill Compound. His mother Kumud Naik owned the other 40 per cent.
As mentioned before, Concorde was battling financial distress for a few years before Naik’s death, and had also locked horns with the tax authorities in a number of disputes.
In the financial year 2015-16, the last record available with the Registrar of Companies, Concorde Designs posted a loss of Rs 4.45 crore, despite having a revenue of Rs 36.26 crore that year.
A realtor and politician who had met Naik on two occasions for work-related discussions, and did not want to be identified, claimed: “An interior designer’s fee is just 5 to 8 per cent of the total work, and Anvay Naik had almost Rs 6 crore worth of pending dues. All equipment providers started hounding him for money. The nature of the work is such that despite a good topline, the actual profits will be at the most 7 to 8 per cent.”
In 2014-15, there was a small profit of Rs 12.26 lakh, while the year before, Concorde had registered a loss of Rs 8.21 crore. In 2015-16, the company’s net worth plummeted by 165.72 per cent, and it had a debt pile of Rs 19.57 crore.
The 2015-16 auditors’ report for Concorde noted: “According to the records of the company, the company is irregular in depositing with appropriate authorities undisputed statutory dues.”
Concorde Designs had at least seven disputes pending over the payment of value added tax, the central sales tax and income tax, amounting to Rs 9.74 crore.
In 2018, Naik’s daughter Adnya, who was once an international lawn tennis player, revived her father’s business by registering a new company — Adnya Naik Designs Private Limited — with mother Akshata.
Also read: Nation wants to know if there is more to Republic TV besides Arnab Goswami
Every word is clearly written without prejudice. But still it’s not evident why Arnab was sent to jail like a terrorist!
This case must be handed over to CBI and guilty must be given proper punishment. Present Government of Maharashtra can’t handle it fairly, because some of the leaders of the government are involved in business tra nsactions with complainants.
I think the debt owed by Arnab and the other two must have been the last straw in their alleged debt and could have been the trigger in the suicide.
This article is an eye opener. This was a double murder. No one of his generation will kill his own mother so brutally with OWN Hands ! With so much debt and the type of business and “reputation” of his partner , he was most likely murdered by one of his beleaguered business components. print should investigate where his wife and kids were during his bad times !
The print is refreshingly different from any other media in newspaper, it gives space to everyone’s views and is not selective, You will agree with some and you will disagree with some, that is how journalism should be.
In India now only Sychopants will survive..
BaJ government is very good in advertising if it does very less good, For the next 4 years again they will highlight some more idiot issues,vti keep busy people ruminating idiot stuff.
People will not even talk about development , economy downfall, but only about such idiot things..
So much secular Gyan in comments. Question remains..
1. Recent case where few signatory names given by dying person why min has spoke here? Bus conductor death.
2. How can one survive with 20 CR loss. What sorts of business one is doing to have such heavy loss. From where the loss was made good.
3. As per the read the losses are not due to bad debt but seems syphoned of money or mis management by business. Same as Nirav Modi.
Good read
Supreme court said that Arnab can not be held responsible for Anway’s tragic suicide in the same way Thackray or Anil Parab can not be held responsible for Bus conductor’s tragic and painful death.
Protect Arnab!
As per the petition given by arnab’s lawyer , arnab has paid the amout on 2019 and amount was return due to inoperative bank account. Naik’s suicide happened in 2018, so as per this arnab not paid the dues which may be one of the reason of naik’s suicide.
In my opinion the suicide case of Anvay Naik has to be enquired under the supervision of Supreme Court as certain doubts are coming to my mind.
1.It is impossible for Anvay Naik to write the suicide note himself. Since at the time of his suicide his Company partner was from NCP, and the NCP was in opposition, the NCP persons might have instigated Anvay’s wife or any of her relative to write a suicide note (as if written by Anvay) naming Arnab and 2 others . Since BJP and Siva Sena were in power at that time and Arnab was supporting Hindu Idealism, the NCP politicians with the connivance of Anvay’s wife and daughter wrote the fabricated suicide note. Further to make the suicide note appear genuine they added the names of 2 other fellows with whom Anvay’s Company was having dealings. Therefore the suicide note must be examined by Forensic expert from AIIMS, Delhi or from any other forensic expert to be decided by the Supreme Court, to find out who had actually written the suicide note?
2. At the time of Suicide, why the BJP and Siva Sena Government and Udhav Thakrey did not help the wife of Anvay and his daughter, as the Thakrey,s family was having land dealings with Anvay’s Company as Thackrey’s family purchased 21 plots from Anvay. It seems they have actually helped the family in getting their dues back from Arnab and others, though the then Investigating Police officers clearly stated that it is a case of suicide and nobody is responsible for the same and therefore closed the case. If the Investigating police officer had not investigated the case impartially during that period, then why the BJP/Siva Sena Government did not take any action against the concerned police officer at that time? Now that Siva Sena has joined with NCP and the NCP fellows were a party to the case earlier (probably by forging the suicide note), they are now punishing the then Investigating Police officers just to make Arnab responsible for the suicide.
3.However, assuming that the Suicide note is genuine, nobody can be made responsible for the suicide of Anvay as none of the fellows with whom Anvay Naik was having contractual dealings were abettors. In such a case the farmers who are periodically committing suicide due to the burden of loan can always make the person (Who had given Loan) responsible for suicide. Similarly many Government Servants can commit suicide due to non-finalization of their pension and make the concern Secretary responsible for their suicide. Further citizens/undertials whose cases are pending in Courts for more than say 10 years can make the Judges responsible for their suicide. For making a case of abetment to suicide the clear example may be Sushant Singh Rajput and Rhea Chakraborty’ case. Probably Sushant committed suicide due to his deep love towards Rhea, who cheated him by leaving his home and deserting him in a difficult time. She only addicted Sushant to drug and kept him under deep depression and therefore she can be called an Abettor, if it is found by the CBI that Sushant Committed Suicide.
4.A question may arise why the Home Minister of Maharashtra declared the case of Sushant Singh Rajput’s death as Suicide (which most probably is) and the police also stated the case as Suicide and did not do further investigation? The reason may be the drug racket in the Bollywood that would have been exposed as many Politicians and Police officials were getting their illegal gratifications from the Drug mafia! Further a link to the death of Disha Shalian would have been exposed as the suicide of Disha is probably a case of rape and murder by high profile politicians and some film actors assisted by the drug mafia.
5.Arnab Goswami of Republic and Navika Kumar of Times Now had brought all the evidences before the public which the Mumbai Police or the CBI cannot hide now as the Court will question the Investigating Agencies. Some other channels said that parralel investigation should not be done except by the Police or CBI or the Court. However in this Society where most of the people are after illegal money and therefore not only Republic and Times Now, but also all media channels must bring evidences before the public through their investigating journalism so that powerful money mafias cannot bribe all the Institutions and thereby forcing the legislature/ executive / Judiciary to follow the path of Truth based on facts.
6. Due to harassment of Republic by the Maharashtra Government, Times Now has now become silent and people are feeling sorry for Navika Kumar. Navika Kumar must start her own TV channel or join Republic to fearlessly tell the truth. Therefore all must support Arnab Goswami, who has become a real hero before the public.
What non sense article is this!! To the Financials are NOT complete. Best way is too tell us his balance sheet and P&L for past few yrs since his death. You havnt done that..TRYING to protect a BJP puppet. Shame on you!
Which the police has seen and reported about in its closure report you low information, low IQ idiot. People investigated, analysed and mentioned all these thing in its closure report. Duffer.
Let CBI investigate it.
Meaningless article. Zero value addition. Only proved that you watched the channel all the time.
I have one simple question…Whether Arnab had contract with Naik..and for how much cost..how much paid and how much he owed..
He had never shows on his TV the papers and keeping mum on payment issue. Always try to blame the Govt. and telling that investigation started because he is nationalist. If one is clear and have facts..why to worry for probe
Who’s stopping the Maharashtra government to probe into this matter. What is the need to arrest Arnab Goswami without completing the probe abd without producing sufficient evidence in the courts thereby asking for permission to reopen the case.
This is sponsor write up trying to divert the attention away from the case and allegation. Pathetic journalism. Can you simply dismiss a case and specific allegations on some persons ( accused) only because he had other financial issues? A note of allegation written before death is a Charge Sheet in itself. Read the artiste because by mistake I had a high impression about the magazine. Wont repeat this mistake agsin. Felt sad reading this article.
Print Dont Try To Save Arnab. Anvay clearly mentioned Arnab’s name on the suicide letter. Dont try to fool public
The French police had found a name similar to yours while investigating a terrorist attack. Does it make you a terrorist??????
Any proof that the suicide note was written by the defunct. Arnab’s case has been dealt with by the Courts. If he were guilty, he would have been kept in prison for a much longer time. The Maharashtra government is accusing without any solid proof that he pushed the Nails to commit suicide.The mother was killed, and why not the wife.
So you farmers should wright clearly some random names in suicide note and commit suicide?
Excellent!
The main point is that naik was in loss because of people like Arnab Goswami.
What do you think arnab is ? A journalist.
No he is not a journalist but a agent of Bjp and pet dog of Modi
NDTV have lots of downloads in google playstore and lots of people visits their website but the TRP of goswami is more
People like him are a thread to democracy because he is the one who is continously attacking the third pillar of democracy but our judge said ” if you dont like a channel dont watch it” but he never said ” if you dont like a tweet dont read it ”
Please answer this honestly if i dont know you will you allow me to ride your bike (the bike is very costly only corrupted poloticians child can afford)
So you intend to say, its okay to kill a dying person. Euthanasia is legal???
First of all suicide is not the solution for any trouble in life be that may monetary. This show weak mind ( no sympathy for such persons). Further you have to leave this world empty handed, so what’s the point. If incurred loss in business you can rise above with truth. & hard work.sincere attitude will eventually lead to rise again. But any false/ untrue attitude will throw you down. And one can fight for the rights if you are right. Once you are gone everything is finished.in this world. No use crying afterwords.
Whether or not Republic tv was required to pay Rs 83/- lacs to Naik and had lapsed? The article clarifies many things but nothing about this. Was there a delay on the part of Republic tv? Why was then the payments issue NOT settled in the last 2-3 yrs even after closure of the case? Whatever may have been the Naik’s prior financial ups & downs. When everything regarding estimate payments made and received are in writing what went wrong? Out of the cage Arnab is roaring now. But he has a moral responsibility to clarify this issue ASAP.
Get your facts correctly. The balance dues were settled by Republic soon after the sad demise of Mr.Naik. In business dealings delayed payments are normal between debtors and creditors. If any grievance, Mr.Naik should have filed case against Republic for recovery without needlessly resorting to suicide