New Delhi/Guwahati, 7 January 2024: The Indian Journalists Union joins its affiliate, the Journalists Union of Assam in condemning the intimidation and ‘assault’ on Deepankar Medhi, Chief Reporter of news channel NB News, on Friday by Nagaon District Commissioner Narendra Kumar Shah. Both the IJU and JUA demand a thorough inquiry be conducted into the incident and strict action be taken against the culprits.

According to JUA President Samim Sultana Ahmed and General Secretary Dhanjit Kumar Das, Medhi said he had gone to meet the DC with a prior appointment to help an elderly woman get pension, pending since her husband’s death. Following his discussion, he left the DC’s chamber, only to return as a woman constable misbehaved with the woman after she inquired about the washroom. While he was questioning the DC on camera, Shah got angry, snatched his camera, and ‘assaulted’ him. He was taken to Nagaon Sadar police station, a video of which is on social media. Mehdi was detained till late at night and released after his statement was recorded and his camera returned after deleting the footage. Shah told media the incident was ‘unfortunate’ but denied assaulting him.

In a statement, IJU President and former member of Press Council of India, Geetartha Pathak and Secretary General and International Federation of Journalists Vice President Sabina Inderjit said the incident reveals not only high-handedness of administration but that journalists in Assam are increasingly at the receiving end, intimidated, harassed and even assaulted. The Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the unions demanded must investigate the case, punish those involved and ensure safety and security of journalists. The IJU lauded the prompt protest by the Nagaon Press Club and Guwahati Press Club against the incident and said that solidarity action was the need of the hour given the threat to press freedom in the state and country.