Assam: Jorhat Journalists Condemn Attack on Senior Journalist Niranjan Mahanta

Jorhat, March 20, 2020:

Assam Journalists have vehemently condemned the assault on Senior Journalist Niranjan Mahanta by unknown miscreants on Thursday night in Jorhat.

Niranjan Mahanta, who works as Senior Staff Reporter with an Assamese daily called Aamar Axom, was heading home after work when two men got into a verbal spat with him at first and then they beat him up on refusing to pay them the money they had demanded.

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The senior Journalist said, "While on my back home, I saw two men lying on the road near Sanjeevani Hospital. On approaching closer, I asked them if they were ok. They blamed me of hurting them and told me to accompany them to the Police Station. In my defense I said that I had not hit them yet I headed to the Police Station. When we reached the Shankar Hall, they halted the vehicle and started demanding money. They punched me and hit me."

I have been working as a Journalist since as long as I can remember. I had never come across a situation like this. But this incident is one example, which clearly signals at the rising cases of crime and loot in Jorhat," added Mahanta.

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A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered at the Jorhat Police Station. Niranjan Mahanta was accompanied by members of the Jorhat Press Club members -- Anjan Bora, Pradip Bora, Ratul Nath, Rajib Bora, Uttan Saikia and Jogesh Oja.

The Journalists of Jorhat, Assam have condemned the attack on their fellow Journalist. They have demanded immediate attention of the administration, especially Jorhat Police.  According to locals, several cases of loot have been reported earlier as well.

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