India: Digital journalist arrested for corruption reporting

Digital journalist and assistant secretary of Guwahati Press Club, Dilwar Hussain Mozumder, was arrested by Assam Police for covering a demonstration against alleged corruption at Assam Co-Operative Bank. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, Indian Journalists Union (IJU), in condemning all charges against the journalist and demanding his unconditional release.

Senior journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder was arrested by Assam Police on March 25, after covering a demonstration against the alleged corruption of Assam Co-Operative Apex Bank Ltd. Credit: X

Senior journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder was arrested by Assam Police on March 25, after covering a demonstration against the alleged corruption of Assam Co-Operative Apex Bank Ltd. Credit: X

Mozumder, chief reporter of digital media portal The CrossCurrent, was arrested by Assam Police on March 25, after covering a demonstration coordinated by Assam Jatiya Parishad’s youth wing, Jatiya Yuva Shakti against alleged corruption of Assam Co-Operative Apex Bank Ltd. The senior journalist was charged by the Kamrup Chief Magistrate Court on March 26 for violating the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Speaking to local media, Mozumder’s family said he was detained for twelve hours at the Panbazar Police Station on March 24, after requesting to “ask questions” to the bank’s Managing Director, Dambaru Saikia, regarding an alleged multi-million recruitment scam involving two other executive members. Saikia had reportedly asked Mozumbder to request the protestors to leave, to which Mozumbder responded it was not possible to call off the demonstrations.

Later that day, two complaints were filed with the Panbazar police. The first was lodged by the bank’s security guard, Sishul Boro, accusing Mozumder of “criminal intimidation” and “offensive remarks” under Section 351 of the Bharatiya Nayaya Sanhita Criminal Code. The second was filed by Dambaru Saikia, the bank’s Managing Director, who claimed Mozumder “unlawfully entered the first floor of the headquarters and attempted to steal valuable bank documents”.

Several media bodies, including the IJU, Journalists Union of Assam (JUA), Press Club of India (PCI), the Gauhati Press Club (GPC), Assam Women Journalists’ Forum, and Editors’ Guild of India condemned Mozumder’s arrest. On March 25, GPC and JUA journalists led a protest from the Press Club of India, to the police station and court premises, demanding his unconditional release. Mozumder was granted bail later that evening.

The IJU said: “Mozumdar’s arrest is sheer gagging of independent reportage, and the FIRs filed appeared to be trumped up charges. Arresting journalists for merely doing his/her duties is a sheer violation of freedom of the press and such curtailment of media rights is unacceptable. The government must refrain from such intimidation and harassment of journalists and respect the rule of law.”

The IFJ said: “The arrest of senior journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder is a transparent attempt to silence critical voices reporting in the public interest. The IFJ is concerned about the deteriorating state of media freedom in India and calls on the authorities to ensure all charges against the journalist are dropped.”

Written By

IFJ Asia-Pacific

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