Assam: Dhubri journo, who wrote against cattle smuggling, held

By: Rokibuz Zaman
GUWAHATI: The arrest of a local TV journalist, who has been reporting on illegal cattle smuggling in the district and the nexus behind it, in Dhubri on Thursday has evoked sharp reactions from the media fraternity and the ruling BJP.
Journalist organisations in Assam have asked chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal to intervene as the journalist, Rajib Sarma, was arrested for reporting on illegal activities in the district which were allegedly supported by government officials and the police.
The state home department has moved swiftly and transferred superintendent of police Yuvraj. The CID has been asked to investigate if there were any lapses in Sarma's arrest or if the arrest was wrongful. Assam Police have also decided to constitute n SIT to investigate allegations against Dhubri police's role in the syndicate and other illegal activities in the last two years.
Sarma was arrested at around 2 am on Thursday from his residence in Gauripur town by Dhubri Police for obstructing public servants in discharging their duties, extortion, threatening people in order to commit extortion and criminal intimidation on basis of an FIR lodged by Dhubri divisional forest officer Biswajit Roy, who alleged that Sarma had demanded money from him. Roy was, however, transferred by the environment and forests department late on Friday.
Hours after Sarma's arrest, his ailing father Sudin Sarma (64) died of cardiac arrest, presumably unable to bear the shock of his only son being arrested, locals said. Sarma was granted an interim bail on Friday for three days to perform the last rites of his father.
"The case of the arrest of a local electronic media journalist, Rajib Sarma, has been transferred to the criminal investigation department for proper investigation. The vigilance and anti-corruption cell will investigate the DFO Dhubri's case separately, unrelated to this criminal case, on the allegations of the series of media reports related to the corruption of Dhubri DFO as well as cattle smuggling through the district," Assam Police additional DG (law and order) GP Singh said after rushing to the district following instructions from chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who also holds the home portfolio.
Singh added, "An SIT will probe the role of Dhubri police during the last two years. I have done my preliminary inquiry today (Friday) and will submit my findings to the director general of police and the chief minister by tonight."
National Human Rights Commission has also registered a case based on a complaint filed by Monojit Singha, city-based human rights defenders, regarding "illegal arrest of Sarmah for reporting news of cow and wood smuggling in the area".
The arrest of the journalist by Dhubri Police has attracted severe criticism for the BJP-led state government and Assam Police. Bharatiya Janata Party president Ranjeet Kumar Das met the chief minister and Assam police DGP over the arrest and submitted a memorandum demanding immediate action against the Dhubri superintendent of police. "Some Assam police officials are involved in illegal activities which are defaming the government. Why was a Journalist arrested post-midnight? The chief minister has assured a probe. We will make sure freedom of the press isn't curbed in Assam," Das said.