Odisha Panchayat Polls: Media Personnel Assaulted While Covering Booth Capture In Puri

Several on duty journalists were brutally assaulted by miscreants, trying to capture a booth by force, during the first phase polling for the three-tier Panchayat Elections at Badal Panchayat under Kanas block in Puri on Wednesday.

The victims were identified as reporters Sumanta Sundarray and Saroj Mallick along with cameramen Chitan Swain and Rabi Tripathy of  local news channels. They were severely injured in the attack.

As per reports, some miscreants were trying to capture a booth at Badal Panchayat by force during the polling. When the media persons present at the spot tried to capture the visuals of the illegal act, the miscreants turned towards them and assaulted them.

The media persons sustained grievous injuries in the attack. Their equipment also suffered extensive damage in the attack.

In protest of the attack on the scribes, several journalists staged a dharna in front of Gadisagada police Station demanding immediate action against the perpetrators.

“Assault on journalists while covering the polls is not at all acceptable in a civilised society. It’s an attack on the fourth pillar of democracy. We strongly condemn the incident and demand stringent action against the miscreants,” said a protesting journalist.