Press trust of India
Bhopal, Nov 15: Two journalists were allegedly brutally assaulted by police in Satna, Madhya Pradesh, for reportedly highlighting the wrongdoings of law enforcers, following which an inspector was Tuesday booked and line-attached.
“We have booked Vijay Singh, inspector at Amarpatan police station and taken him off field duty (line attached),” Satna SP Mithlesh Shukla said.
Singh along with a police party raided the residences of TV journalists — Narendra Patel and Jitendra Soni Monday.
They allegedly abused, brutally assaulted and paraded the journalists handcuffed in Amarpatan area, local scribe Gyan Shukla claimed.
According to him, the two scribes had aired reports on their respective channels and WhatsApp groups about alleged police extortion on highway, sheltering betting dens and illegal liquor sale in area.
Police have falsely booked the two journalists under Arms Act, claiming that they were involved in illegal fire arms business, Shukla alleged.
Meanwhile, the two journalists, who sustained multiple injuries are undergoing treatment at the district hospital.
“We have booked Singh under section 294 (obscene act and songs), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC, the SP said.
Local journalists scribes took out a rally in the district and burnt the effigy of inspector Singh near circuit house.
They also staged a protest at the collector’s office and handed over a memorandum to Collector Naresh Pal.
“We seek that Singh should be booked under harsher sections of the IPC. He has been charged leniently in the matter,” Gyan Shukla said on behalf of local journalists.
“Besides, we want that entire staff of Amarpatan police station to be removed,” he said.
Meanwhile, state public relations minister Narottam Mishra spoke to journalist Jitendra Soni over phone and wished him speedy recovery, a press release issued here by the state government said. Mishra said that order have been issued for strict action against the guilty persons.
