Odisha Woman Journalist Among Two Scribes Detained In 'Tripura Violence' Case

Samriddhi K Sakunia, one of the two women journalists, who were detained by the Assam Police at Nilambazaar in Karimganj district, close to Assam-Tripura border on Sunday, hails from Jharsuguda district in Odisha, said police.

The other journalist has been identified as Swarna Jha, a resident of Delhi’s Rohini. Both the women journalists are working with a Delhi-based HW News Network and were reporting on the recent instances of alleged communal vandalism in Tripura.

The journalists have been booked under Indian Penal Code Sections relating to criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc. and committing insult with the intent of provoking breach of peace.

The duo was detained based on the FIR registered at the Fatikroy Police Station in Unakoti district of the State by a supporter of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). The VHP activist alleged that the women journalists have maligned the image of Tripura government by their reporting.

“We have been detained at the Nilambazar police station, Karimganj, Assam. We were informed by the officer-in-charge of Nilambazar PS that SP of Gomti District gave the orders for our detention,” informed Sakunia in a tweet yesterday.

 

We have been detained at the Nilambazar police station, Karimganj, Assam. We were informed by the officer in-charge of Nilambazar PS that SP of Gomti District gave the orders for our detention.
Official statement by @hwnewsnetwork . @Jha_Swarnaa pic.twitter.com/l3JPKUq7kw

— Samriddhi K Sakunia (@Samriddhi0809) November 14, 2021

 

A senior police officer from Assam confirmed that the two women journalists were detained and a team of Tripura Police officials from Dharmanagar would reach Nilambazaar to take them back for interrogation.

On the other hand, HW News Network said in a statement, “Assam Police says that our journalists will be taken back to Tripura for further questioning despite police allowing them to leave the hotel and giving seven days’ notice to record a statement. This is sheer harassment and targeting of the press on the part of Tripura Police and Tripura Government to suppress us from reporting the facts of the case.”

However, a senior police official from Tripura said, “We served them a notice seeking their appearance before the Fatikroy Police Station but they sought time stating they would need to talk to their lawyer. So, we asked them to depose on November 21." 

“The journalists had posted few videos on social media claiming a mosque was burnt in Gomati district and a copy of the Quran was damaged. Police suspect that videos have been doctored,” the official added.

Meanwhile, Tripura’s Assistant Inspector-General of Police (Law and Order) issued a statement late on Sunday night and said that a team from the Dharmanagar women’s Police Station was sent to Assam to fetch the two journalists. A Kankraban police team would also be reaching Dharmanagar for further legal action against the detained duo.

In a tweet on November 11, Sakunia had written, “#Tripuraviolence Darga Bazaar: On 19th October at around 2:30 am, some unidentified people burnt down the mosque in Darga Bazaar area. People in the neighbourhood are very upset with the fact that now they don’t have any place nearby to go and pray There’s no other masjid nearby.”

 

🚨#Tripuraviolence
Darga Bazaar: On 19th October at around 2:30 am, some unidentified people burnt down the mosque in Darga Bazaar area. People in the neighborhood are very upset with the fact that now they don't have any place nearby to go and pray There's no other masjid nearby pic.twitter.com/JNkX8sVahS

— Samriddhi K Sakunia (@Samriddhi0809) November 11, 2021

 

Meanwhile, the Editors Guild of India (EGI) and Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC) have condemned the detention and demanded the immediate release of the two journalists.

 

Editors Guild condemns this action and demands their immediate release and restoration of their freedom to travel.@Tripura_Police @assampolice @DGPAssamPolice @HMOIndia https://t.co/qVx7ArzojA

— Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) November 14, 2021

 

Indian Women's Press Corps stands in solidarity with Samriddhi K.Sakunia and Swarna Jha,the two women journalists who have been harassed, intimidated and detained for doing their job.IWPC demands that the police immediately release them & allow them to do their job without fear. pic.twitter.com/BnVWARqYgH

— Indian Women’s Press Corps (@iwpcdelhi) November 14, 2021

Later in the day, the duo were granted bail by a court in Gomati district. Samriddhi and Swarna were granted bail on bail bond of Rs 75,000 each. Moreover, the court has asked them to appear before Kakraban Police Station where the case was registered.

Advocate Pijush Biswas, who appeared before the court said, both the journalist will be released after questioning.