NEW DELHI: The Press Council of India (PCI) Inquiry Committee on Tuesday directed the Director General of Police (DGP) of Meghalaya to complete the investigation into the case of reported attack on a journalist by timber smugglers within 45 days.
Presiding over the meeting, PCI Chairman Justice C K Prasad took serious note of the tardy progress in the investigation of the case.
Victim Biplab Dey, a freelance scribe, was seriously injured by some timber smugglers when he stopped their trucks.
The culprits took away his camera, mobile phone and laptop apparently to destroy evidence.
The counsel Aparajita Mukherjee submitted a fresh affidivit mentioning the progress in the case.
Meghalaya has been witnessing timber smuggling through various routes for the past three years.
Reports suggest that more than 31 journalists have been killed for doing their job in India’s Northeastern states in the last 30 years.
Justice Prasad asserted that such attack on journalists and tardy progress in investigation into such cases draws international attention and subsequent condemnation from all quarters.