A senior journalist of Asomiya Pratidin was attacked on Tuesday by some assailants while covering news at the Commerce point area in Guwahati.
Senior Asomiya Pratidin journalist Banjit Thakuria had gone to cover a story at 12.45 midnight in the Chandmari area.
The adjoining establishment of Fat Belly restaurant near Gauhati Commerce College and JB Law College had caught fire in midnight and fire brigade rushed to the area to extinguish fire. The police from Chandmari Police Station also arrived at the scene.
Hearing about the news, Thakuria went to the spot to cover it. By the time he reached the spot, the fire brigade had already extinguished the fire.
While he was on his way, a group of assailants gathered around him at Commerce point and in a rough manner, asked whether he was reporter after which they started physically assaulting him.
Two of the assailants even tore his shirt apart from slapping him.
Although the fire brigade, after extinguishing the fire left the place, a police vehicle was still present in the area.
When the police came to rescue the reporter, some of the assailants ran away, while two others, identified as Ankur Chandra Boro and Navanil Goswami, escaped in a luxury car. While escaping, they also verbally abused the police.
The police followed the luxury car in which they fled away and caught them near Ambika Petrol Depot in Dispur.
The accused were taken to Chandmari Police Station where Thakuria lodged a complaint against them.
After a while, a woman, who identified herself as the owner of Fat Belly restaurant in Commerce Point, appeared at the Police Station.
She misbehaved with Thakuria and imposingly asked, “What kind of journalist are you? I have close relationships with many senior journalists.” It is suspected that the woman has some connection with the apprehended youths.
Apart from that, the woman also raised her voice in front of police officials, enquiring how the fire broke out at the place.
While the woman was pressurizing Thakuria to withdraw the case filed against the two assailants, two other senior journalists of Asomiya Pratidin, Dhruba Pathak and Chinmoy Roy arrived at the police station.
When the police were going to take injured Thakuria to Gauhati Medical College, the woman insisted that she would take him to the hospital.
However, the police and Thakuria disagreed with her and went to GMCH in another vehicle. After receiving the necessary treatment, Thakuria was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday morning.
Although the police have apprehended two of the assailants who fled away in the car, other accused are still on the run.
The police are checking the CCTV footage to get evidence regarding the incident.
