Sedition charges slapped against scribe; Cachar media fraternity seeks CM's intervention
Silchar, Dec 6: The media fraternity of Cachar expressed their solidarity to Anirban Roy Choudhury, editor and co-owner of hyperlocal portal Barak Bulletin against whom a complaint has been filed under various sections of the IPC including sedition law allegedly over an editorial which was published in the portal on November 28.
Based on the complaint filed by a certain Santanu Sutradhar with claims that the editorial could hamper the cordial bond between the Bengali speaking people here in Barak Valley and the Assamese people of Brahmaputra Valley, Roy Choudhury has been summoned by Cachar police at Silchar Sadar police station on Monday at 11 am.
In the meeting held on Sunday, scribes in Silchar condemned the move and wrote a memorandum to Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma drawing his attention and seeking his intervention to give necessary directions so that the baseless charges levied against the young scribe be immediately withdrawn and the press be allowed to function without any fear or favour.
Senior journalists Jyotilal Choudhury, Arijit Aditya, Pranabananda Das criticised the stance of the state machinery against the media. " The case filed against Shri Anirban Roy Choudhury u/s 153(A),124(A),505/505(2) of IPC. A casual glance at these sections levied upon the journalist speaks volumes of utter lies and whims and fancies of the person who lodged the complaint. The police have summoned Anirban Roy Roy Choudhury to the police station on December 6 2021. The media fraternity of Cachar strongly denounces such attempts of framing the journalists on unfounded grounds. It is the primary duty of the press to uphold the truth and bring it to the limelight. This incident has left a scar mark on the history of the media. On this backdrop, we most humbly appeal to you to give necessary directions so that the baseless charges levied against the young scribe be immediately withdrawn and the press be allowed to function without any fear or favour," the media persons mentioned in the memorandum.
On the other hand, through a press statement, the Indian Journalists Union (IJU) has expressed concern over the slapping of sedition charges against a journalist from Barak valley and urged the authority to withdraw the case against Anirban Roy Choudhury.
