Assam journalist arrested after questioning senior bank official over ‘financial irregularities’

Dilwar Hussain Mozumder, chief reporter of 'The Cross Current', was summoned to the Panbazar police station on Tuesday afternoon and subsequently detained.

Guwahati: A journalist of a digital news portal in Assam has been arrested after being detained for over nine hours by the police, after he questioned the MD of a cooperative bank over alleged financial irregularities in the institution during a protest here, officials said.

Dilwar Hussain Mozumder, chief reporter of ‘The Cross Current’, was summoned to the Panbazar police station on Tuesday afternoon and subsequently detained, they said.

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Mozumder, who is also the assistant general secretary of the Gauhati Press Club, was arrested after midnight under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including those pertaining to criminal intimidation or the act of threatening someone to harm them, and relevant sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the officials said.

The incident took place when the journalist asked questions to the MD as the Assam Jatiya Parishad’s youth wing Jatiya Yuva Shakti (JYS) on Tuesday staged a dharna in front of the Assam Cooperative Apex Bank Ltd to protest against alleged financial irregularities.

Mozumder is the prime accused in the FIR filed by a complainant, whose name has not been mentioned in the arrest information report.

The complaint said the journalist’s remarks were made to intentionally insult, humiliate and offend the complainant, who is a Scheduled Tribe (ST). The police report mentions that the offence is cognisable and non-bailable as per the provisions of the BNS and the SC/ST Act, leading to his immediate arrest, the officials said.

The arrest was necessary to prevent the accused from influencing the complainant or witnesses, ensuring a fair investigation and avoiding any tampering with evidence, according to the police.

Mozumder, who also filed a complaint with the police which is yet to be registered, alleged that a video recording of the protest was deleted inside the MD’s chamber, and that he had also asked the scribe to ensure the demonstrations be stopped.

His wife and lawyer were reportedly allowed to enter the police station late on Tuesday, after repeated pleas that Mozumder needs medication. Several media organisations have condemned the arrest and protest programmes have been planned on Wednesday.

Opposition parties like the Congress, Raijor Dal and the Assam Jatiya Parishad have also demanded his immediate release.