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Governor, CM condemn attack on journalist

By Correspondent

ITANAGAR, July 16 � Arunachal Pradesh Governor Gen (Retd) JJ Singh and Chief Minister Nabam Tuki today strongly condemned yesterday�s incident in which a senior journalist sustained bullet injury.

Tongam Rina, Associate Editor of The Arunachal Times, the first English daily from the State, was shot at from point blank range by an unidentified gunman on Sunday around 6.16 pm while she was about to enter her office premises.

She was immediately rushed to nearby RK Mission Hospital in a critical condition with the bullet stuck in her left waist touching the spinal cord and piercing into the intestine. She was operated upon by a team of doctors and the bullet removed after two hours of surgery. She is said to be out of danger and recuperating in the hospital at the moment.

Expressing his deep anguish over the attack on Rina, the Governor termed it as �an act of cowardice� and �an attack on the freedom of media�.

Conveying his concern to the Chief Minister, the Governor said that people�s confidence should be strengthened. �Those involved in this shameful act should be arrested as soon as possible and made to face the law of the land,� said the Governor and appealed the people to maintain peace and harmony.

Chief Minister Nabam Tuki today held a high-level security meeting with the State police chief and other top-ranking administrative officials to assess the situation.

He condemned the attack in strongest terms saying �the attack on media is attack on the people and therefore, an attack on the government�.

Tuki, who is also the Minister in-charge of Home, made it crystal clear to the law enforcing officials that no matter what the person responsible for pulling the trigger on the journalist has to be arrested and punished.

The Chief Minister also directed the Chief Secretary to sound red-alert in and around the State capital complex and launch an extensive manhunt to nab the culprit. A case has been registered in the Itanagar police station and a non-bailable arrest warrant issued against the unknown gunman. He also said that the government will bear all expenses of her treatment.

DGP Kanwaljeet Deol informed that ITBP and CRPF personnel are assisting the State Police in the manhunt. All entry and exist points to the State capital have been sealed.

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