Nalbari/Guwahati: Two journalists, including a woman, have come under attack in separate incidents in Nalbari and Tinsukia districts of Assam, a police officer said on Friday.
Rajen Deka, a correspondent with Assamese daily Dainik Asom, was assaulted with sharp weapons on Thursday night allegedly by BJP activist Ripul Deka alias Baba at Tegheriattari village of Nalbari, he said.
“Rajen, who was on his way home, sustained grievous injuries on his head, chest, wrist and arms. He is currently undergoing treatment at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital,” the officer said.
The BJP activist, accompanied by some youths, managed to escape in an auto-rickshaw after the attack, he said.
“One of the youths, identified as Jintu Medhi, uploaded a post on social media Friday morning, threatening to kill the journalist. An FIR has been lodged against both Ripul Deka and Jintu Medhi in connection with the case,” he said.
Condemning the attack, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal asked Director General of Police Kuladhar Saikia to speed up the investigations and ensure that the culprits were booked at the earliest.
Sonowal also said that the state government is committed to the safety and security of journalists.
In another incident, Tinsukia-based television journalist Upasana Barua Goswami was assaulted by a group of four miscreants in a restaurant.
The journalist, employed with News18 Assam-Northeast, claimed that she visited a restaurant late on Thursday, where the miscreants tried to misbehave with her.
“The men, in an inebriated state, tried to misbehave with me, but the owner of the restaurant immediately intervened. One of them suddenly slapped the female manager and others started attacking me and my husband,’’ she asserted.
“I recorded the entire incident on my mobile phone and informed the police,” she added.
The Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA) has expressed serious concern over the attacks and urged the authorities to take stringent action against the culprits.
“We reiterate our old demand for a special protection law to safeguard the scribes across India. Moreover, we urge the media fraternity to get united and pursue quality journalism as it becomes need of the hour,” said a statement issued by JFA president Rupam Barua and Secretary Nava Thakuria.
Meanwhile, the state police have arrested at least four persons namely Pramod Gogoi, Pragjyoti Das, Dhananjay Dutta and Dwipan Sonowal in this connection and are continuing their investigations, sources said. (Agencies)
