Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Saturday condemned the attack on Odisha’s leading daily Dharitri’s Banapur (Khurda) reporter Dilip Swain and demanded immediate action against the culprits.
During a presser at Sankha Bhawan here, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty slammed the state government over the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, citing the attacks on the Dharitri journalist and a web reporter, who was allegedly attacked during the PM-Kisan money distribution programme at Pipli.
Swain is currently undergoing treatment at AIIMS, Bhubaneswar. According to sources, the attack is linked to a news report published in Dharitri’s May 9 edition.
The report had exposed a disturbing case involving the circulation of obscene photographs of a 4-year-old girl on a pornographic website. Following the story, a CBI team from Delhi had arrested the main accused, Dolagobinda Jena, 45, of Harichandanpur village under Nachuni police limits in Khurda district.
The report angered the accused and his family members.
On Friday night, a mob of around 30–40 men attacked Swain at Gambharimunda Square and allegedly attempted to strangle him, leaving him severely injured.
He was initially rushed to Banapur Hospital and later shifted to AIIMS for advanced treatment.
On being informed, a team of Nachuni and Banapur police visited Swain at the hospital and initiated an investigation.
Mohanty said, “We condemn the attack on Dharitri journalist. Another web media journalist was attacked during the government’s programme at Pipli, which shows the concerning law and order situation in the state.
Is this how the state government is protecting the journalists? We demand the government to take immediate action into the matter and nab the culprits.”
The BJD leader also alleged that the main accused in Swain’s attack – Soumya Ranjan Samantray – is a close confidant of Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan.
He also showed photos of Soumya with the minister and demanded stringent action in the matter.
PNN
