Guwahati: Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA) expresses shock over the incident of attack at the residence of senior journalist Patricia Mukhim, the Editor of The Shillong Times, and urges the Meghalaya government to book the perpetrators, who threw a kerosene bomb targeting her bedroom windows on Tuesday evening.
The editor of Meghalaya’s prominent English daily newspaper The Shillong Times, narrated the incident in her Facebook account last evening, “My home attacked with petrol bomb today at 8.35 pm. I am shocked. Those who did this ugly deed need to be arrested. I heard the explosion and saw the flames rising. It’s a terrible feeling.”
The investigating Meghalaya police officer informed that two unidentified men came on a two-wheeler and parked the bike ahead of her house and then one rider lobbed the kerosene (not petrol) bomb at the bedroom. The officer denied finding any damage due to it in the preliminary finding.
Meanwhile, in another Facebook update, the Padma Shree awardee author thanked the State police ‘for responding with alacrity’ to the incident. Appreciating East Khasi Hills district police chief Davies Marak for personally coming to her residence, Ms Mukhim maintained her appeal to nab the culprits and restore public confidence.
“Unlike many States of the country, Meghalaya has no such report of journalist attack or murder in the recent time. Hence the incident should be investigated urgently and take appropriate actions against the criminals under the law,” said a statement issued by JFA president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava Thakuria.