Editors Guild condemns assault on CNN-IBN staff

New Delhi, Mar 7: The Editors Guild of India today condemned the attack on the staff of news channel CNN-IBN in Lucknow today (Mar 7, 2006) and demanded exemplary punishment to the people responsible for it.

''Editors Guild strongly condemns such cowardly attack and demends Uttar Pradesh authorities provide adequate protection to the staff of the news channel,'' organisation's Secretary General Om Thanvi said in a statement here.

''The violent attack on the staff of CNN-IBN in Lucknow this afternoon was yet another instance of wanton assault on the media and brutal attempt to subjugate freedom by fear. Editors Guild demanded that State Government found the guilty persons so that they could face exemplary justice and ensure that the free voice of media was never shackled,'' he added.

Earlier today, four unidentified miscreants torched the vehicle of a private news channel and assaulted its two staffers in Lucknow.

CNN-IBN journalists said their vehicle was torched by four motorcycle-borne men near Peekay Bhawan in the busy Hazratganj area.

Before torching the vehicle, the assailants beat up two non-journalist staffers.

''An assistant has been rushed to hospital with serious injuries... they wanted to throw him inside the burning car,'' the journalists claimed.

Even as motive behind the attack was not known, the channel was to approach the police to register an FIR.

A channel broadcast maintained the attack came close on the heels of former UP chief minister and BSP supremo Mayawati serving a legal notice to it for a news story telecast and put on its website ''UP's Dalit Queen turns Crorepati.'' The BSP chief claimed the story contained ''distorted, manipulated and fabricated information and clippings.'' The notice called upon the CNN-IBN to pay Rs ten crore as damages to Ms Mayawati, failing which, she would initiate legal proceedings against the channel.

UNI