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Ground Report | New Delhi: Why two female journalists were arrested in Tripura; The Assam Police on Sunday detained two women journalists who had arrived in Tripura to report on the communal violence that took place in Tripura on Sunday, which drew criticism. The police of both the states said that these women journalists named Samridhi Shakuniya and Swarna Jha of HW News Network have been detained from Neelam Bazar in Karimganj district of Assam.
Why two female journalists were arrested in Tripura
In a statement issued by his organization, it has been told that the names of both the journalists have been registered in the FIR written at Fatikroy police station in Tripura. It was registered on the complaint of a Vishva Hindu Parishad supporter, alleging that he had tarnished the image of the Tripura government with his reporting. A person named Kanchan Das has alleged that Samriddhi Shakuniya and Swarna Jha had gone to Paul Bazar in Unnakoti district to meet Muslim community members and made "inflammatory talk" against Hindus and the Tripura government there.
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According to news agency ANI, Tripura IG (Law and Order) Arindam Nath said, "Tripura Police has registered several cases against two women journalists Samridhi Sakuniya and Swaran Jha and accused them of false and false motives to disturb communalism. Accused of spreading fabricated news. Harmony." Has been detained for printing and broadcasting.
News organization issued a statement
Meanwhile, on Sunday News organization HW News has issued a statement says "HW News journalists Samridhi Sakuniya and Swarna Jha have been taken into custody by the Assam Police. The Assam Police says that they have no complaints about the journalists, but they have done so at the behest of the Tripura Police. ,
"Today at 5.30 am, a copy of the FIR was given to these journalists, but the police could not show them any warrant. The journalists have been booked under sections 120B, 153A and 504 of the IPC on the complaint of the local Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader. He has accused the journalists of maligning the image of Tripura government and VHP.
“We did not take permission in Gomti but elsewhere we informed the police and took security while reporting. We have not been shown any copy of the FIR and if we have not done anything wrong then why are we being stopped. She also told reporters that during her stay in hotels, she had identified herself as a student while Swarna Jha had identified himself as a journalist.
“VHP had registered an FIR against us at Fatikroy police station under which he got bail and she was asked to appear again on November 21 for questioning. We are ready to cooperate and there is no problem in going with them but it is already 6:21 and we are being taken to Tripura which is not good,” said Samridhi.
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FIR at Kumarghat police station
Refuting their claims, IG Law and Order said, "Two cases are registered against them, one at Kumarghat in Unakoti district and the other at Kakraban police station in Gomti district. One is Kajal Das while registering an FIR at Kumarghat police station. Said that both the journalists were trying to disturb the communal harmony of the state. On the other hand, the matter was taken suo motu after a video full of false information was circulated by them in Kakraban.
In Kakraban, a house named Rahmat Ali, where religious prayers were regularly held, was gutted in a fire last October 19, the police officer said. Both the journalists went there on November 11 and made a short video in which they claimed to have damaged the Quran.
“Police was investigating the matter since the first report of the matter but the police could not find any evidence of Quran burning inside the room. After the video was uploaded on the web, we once again verified with the owner of the house, Rahmat Ali, who refuted the facts stated in the video. Our SDPO suo motu contacted them both after taking the FIR. But, instead of cooperating with the police, they choose to change their route and leave the state." IG said.
The Editors Guild of India (EGI) and the Indian Women's Press Corps (IWPC) have condemned the detention of both women journalists. EGI issued a statement saying, "The Editors Guild condemns this act and calls for the immediate release of both of them and the freedom to move around." "We demand their immediate release and allow them to continue their work," the IWPC said in a statement.
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