NEW DELHI, Oct 22: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday issued a notice to the Kerala, Tripura and Manipur governments over the alleged attack on three journalists at different places in the States in the past three months. The commission has asked the Director Generals of Police of the three States, calling for detailed reports on the matters within two weeks.
According to a communique from the commission, a journalist in Manipur was attacked on August 30 while covering a flower festival in Laii Village of Senapati District. He was shot twice with an air gun and was severely injured.
The same day, another journalist was assaulted by a group of people when he reached Mangattukavala near Thoudupuzha, Kerala. He was returning from a wedding function.
In a case in Tripura, a journalist was assaulted with sticks and sharp weapons by a group of miscreants on September 21. He was attending a clothes distribution programme organised by a political party in the Hezamara area of west Tripura. His motorcycle was also stolen.
In all three incidents, the victims were hospitalised for treatment and cases were registered by the police.
Earlier in May, the NHRC had issued notices to the Odisha and Madhya Pradesh governments for assaults on journalists. The notice was issued to Odisha government over the assault of a TV journalist at Kulthipali village in Balangir district.
The journalist was attacked by a group of people when he went to a construction site in the village on May 25. Local residents had earlier levelled allegations of corruption against the construction work. The victim’s legs and hands were tied, and he was paraded through the village before being tied to a pole and mercilessly beaten.
His mobile phones and video camera were also smashed by the perpetrators, and he was threatened not to report anything about the incident or the ongoing construction work. Observing that the act was the violation of the victim’s human rights, the commission issued a notice to the Director-General of Police, Odisha, seeking a detailed report within two weeks.
In MP, two journalists were assaulted by the police in Bhind district. The journalists were manhandled, allegedly, under the supervision of the District Superintendent of Police, on May 1. Both journalists were further forced to record a video statement stating that all matters between them were resolved.
Observing that the incident was violation of the human rights of the journalists, a notice was issued to the Director General of Police, Madhya Pradesh, calling for a detailed report in the matter within two weeks.
(Manas Dasgupta)
