Abetment to suicide case: Supreme court extends Interim bail to Arnab Goswami

New Delhi, Nov 27: The Supreme Court on Friday said the interim bail to journalist Arnab Goswami and two others in an abetment to suicide case will continue till the Bombay High Court disposes of their plea, and stated that the judiciary should ensure criminal law does not become a weapon for selective harassment.

Earlier, the top court had granted interim bail to the journalist on November 11, saying it will be "travesty of justice" if personal liberty is curtailed.

On Friday, a bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud gave reasons for granting relief to the TV anchor and two others in the case. It said Arnab Goswami's interim bail shall be operative for another four weeks from the day the high court decides his pending plea in the 2018 abetment to suicide case.

The bench also said the Supreme Court, high courts and lower courts must be alive to the misuse of criminal law by the state machinery. They should ensure criminal law does not become a weapon for the selective harassment of citizens, it said.

"Doors of this court cannot be closed to citizen who has prima facie showed state has misused its power," it said, adding that deprivation of personal liberty even for a single day is too much.

Earlier, the top court had granted interim bail to two others in the case - Neetish Sarda and Feroz Mohammad Shaikh - on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 each and directed that they shall not tamper with the evidence and shall cooperate in the probe.