Cameraman manhandled, camera stolen

Kolkata, Oct 19 (UNI) Assaulting the media seems to be a fad in the metro nowadays, with an electronic media cameraman being manhandled and his camera stolen in Central Kolkata last evening .

This comes exactly 10 days after a journalist was roughed up by local goons after he protested against a shop being looted and ransacked.

DC South Ajay Kumar told UNI here today, " We have registered a case against the two youths. The car in which the duo was travelling has been seized and the identities of the youths deciphered." " Last night we conducted raids at their houses, but they could not be traced. A case of robbery has been lodged and we are sure of arresting them and also recover the camera," he said.

Last evening when India-TV cameraman Sujit Das was on his way for an assignment, a car, travelling at a breakneck speed, rammed into his vehicle from behind.

" Then the car overtook us and started beating up the driver. The two young men, who looked inebriated rpt inebriated, then started abusing me," Sujit said.

"I decided to shoot the event. One of the goons attacked me and scampered off with the camera. The second tried to get away with the car, but I went and sat before it. In the meantime a sergent arrived and he ran away too," he said.

This is the second case of unprovoked attack on mediamen in the city. The camera stolen is worth Rs 2.75 lakhs.

Police said that the duo came from rich families of Ekbalpore region in South Kolkata.

UNI BA KK RD/src1247