12-hour Cachar bandh to protest alleged assault on journalists

Silchar, Jan 25 (UNI) The Silchar Press Club today observed a 12-hour bandh in Cachar district of Assam to protest the alleged assault on two journalists in the Barak Valley area of the state on January 9.

The bandh was called to demand the arrest of the miscreants involved in the assault on the journalists.

Police said 21 people, including a few journalists, were detained from different parts of the town, for picketing in front of government offices. The bandh, however, passed off peacefully, police said.

Silchar Press Club general secretary Shankar Dey alleged that two journalists were manhandled by a group of miscreants near a polling booth on the outskirts of the town when they were covering the elections on January 9. The duo were critically injured and presently undergoing treatment at a local hospital. However, police was yet to arrest the miscreants, Mr Dey said.

Meanwhile, Cachar Additional Superintendent of Police P J Goswami said the miscreants could not be arrested yet as they were absconding.

UNI XC DPM LPB KP1823