JORABAT, April 16 - Members of journalist organisations, with support from other organisations, staged a sit-in demonstration for over four hours today in front of the Sonapur Police Station in protest against assault on a journalist of a local television channel by CRPF personnel recently.
The journalist bodies represented at the sit-in included the Journalists� Federation of Assam (JAFA), Dimoria Journalists� Union and Jorabat Journalists� Union. Representatives from the Inter-Dimoria Regional Students Union, Asom Sangrami Yuva Satra Santha and All Dimoria Youth Students� Union also took part in the protest demonstration.
It may be recalled that local journalist Dipak Deka working for private television news channel Assam Talks, was beaten up by personnel of CRPF 128 Bn Sonapur, while he was collecting videos of late night polling of the Assam Assembly elections at the Sonapur HS School polling booth on April 11.
Deka told this correspondent that even though he repeatedly showed his identity card and Assam Talks logo-bearing microphone and claimed that he was a journalist and his only motive was to collect videos for news telecast, the CRPF jawans did not desist from beating him. He had gone for news coverage with a jounalist named Ajit Das working for Protidin Time news channel.
The journalist bodies had submitted memorandums to the East Kamrup Deputy Commisioner and the Superintendent of Police, calling for action against the guilty CRPF men within three days. Today�s protest was staged as the three-day ultimatum was over.
Today too a memorandum was submitted to ADC East Kamrup Munindra Nath Ngatey by the scribes� bodies.
In the evening a meeting was held in the office of the Superintendent of Police of East Kamrup, where higher officials of CRPF, the ADC of East Kamrup, the SP, the Additional SP of East Kamrup Police and the OC of Sonapur Police Station along with representatives from the journalists� bodies were present.
The police officials assured that proper investigations are going on and the CRPF is also conducting a departmental inquiry. ADC Ngatey said a magisterial inquiry is also going on and soon proper action would be taken against the persons found guilty.
The OC of Sonapur PS Ratneswar Das informed the journalists that within three days the police would ask the CRPF to identify the culprits and take proper action against them according to departmental procedure. The higher officials of CRPF also assured that steps would be taken against the persons found guilty.
The journalist bodies informed that the actions taken by the police, administration and CRPF would be keenly watched by them. They threatened of a Statewide agitation if satisfactory steps are not taken by the police and administration.
