Guwahati: A Guwahati journalist was arrested under the stringent Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act after he questioned the MD of a cooperative bank over alleged financial irregularities during a protest here.
Dilwar Hussain Mozumder, chief reporter of digital news portal ‘The Cross Current’, was summoned to Panbazar police station on Tuesday afternoon and subsequently taken into custody after being detained for nine hours, reported PTI.
An FIR was filed for allegedly abusing an unnamed security guard of the Assam Cooperative Apex Bank (ACAB) while covering a protest over allegations of irregularities against the bank.
According to the FIR, the journalist made some remarks to intentionally insult, humiliate and offend the complainant, who belongs to a Scheduled Tribe (ST).
Mozumder, who is also assistant general secretary of the Gauhati Press Club (GPC), has been charged under various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including those pertaining to criminal intimidation or act of threatening someone to harm them, and relevant sections of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, officials said.
A video clip shared by Mozumder on social media before his arrest showed him asking the bank’s managing director (MD) Dambaru Saikia questions about an alleged recruitment scam.
Refusing to answer Mozumder’s questions, the MD called the police, who took action.
Mozumder said in a post that he went to the bank for information regarding alleged corruption. “They cannot muzzle my voice. I have been detained at Panbazar police station. I questioned the MD of Apex Bank regarding the corruption allegations.”
MD’s claim & police version
Saikia claimed that the journalist forcibly entered his office. “Our security guard said that the person abused him, naming his community. Another officer said that the person tried to steal important documents. This created a law and order situation, so we called the police,” the MD stated.
According to police, emotional and psychological distress the complainant faced, violation of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and tampering of evidence were the grounds for Mozumder’s arrest.
Protests against ‘undemocratic’ arrest
Calling his arrest undemocratic, the journalist’s lawyers said his rights had been violated, and they were moving court for bail.
Mozumder’s arrest sparked protests, with journalists raising slogans against the police.
The Guwahati Press Club said the situation was deeply concerning, and appealed to the authorities to uphold freedom of the press.
GPC general secretary Sanjay Ray said they are demanding Mozumder’s unconditional release, and that their protest will continue until the demand is fulfilled.
“We believe in law, and the process of challenging the arrest in the court is happening. We are protesting here because of the unconstitutional process of arrest, and we will continue this until justice is served,” he said.
Press Club of India condemns arrest
The Press Club of India (PCI) backed the GPC and condemned the arrest process.
“PCI condemns the Assam Police’s highhandedness on the matter, particularly refusal to inform his family and his colleagues on what grounds he was detained in the first place. Preventing a journalist from carrying out his official duty is a grave infringement of the freedom of press that is guaranteed under Article 19 (1) (A) of the Constitution,” PCI said in a statement.
PCI also urged Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to look into the matter and ensure that there must not be any false charges against Mozumder, who belongs to a backward, minority community, and was covering a sensitive corruption-related protest as part of his job.
