Agartala: Tripura Police on Sunday booked two Delhi-based journalists, reporting on the recent alleged communal violence in the state. The journalists identified as – Sammriddhi K Sakunia and Swarna Jha, were served notices to record their statements. Both the journalists have been booked under sections relating to spreading communal disharmony, committing insult with intent of provoking breach of peace and criminal conspiracy.Also Read - PM Gramin Awaas Yojana: First Installment To Be Transferred To 1.47 Lakh Beneficiaries Today
According to police, the FIR was registered by the Fatikroy police station against Sammriddhi and Swarna on Saturday night following specific complaints about instigating local Muslims and compelling them to make a statement against Viswa Hindu Parisad (VHP) that Pal Bazar mosque was set on fire-raising ‘Jai Sree Ram’ slogan on Oct 23. Also Read - Amit Shah To Visit Varanasi on Friday, Will Hold Meet With CM Yogi, BJP Leaders to Discuss UP Polls
“Instead, they made a phone call to a lawyer in Delhi claiming to talk to Kapil Sibal. They were planning to catch a local train early in the morning to Agartala for their onward journey to Delhi. But the police stopped them in the hotel. After some time, an advocate came, and then they received the notice and we allowed them to travel to Agartala where they will have to deposit their statement on Nov 21,” said a senior police officer to the Times of India. Also Read - Tripura: 6 Arrested, Several Booked For ‘Provocative Social Media Posts'
The journalists, on the other hand, claimed they were in Tripura for a ‘ground report’ on last month’s communal disturbances and has sought police permission as well as protection for the same.
Samriddhi K Sakunia in a video tweet claimed that the state police their travel details citing grounds of security and later posted cops outside their hotel, preventing them from going anywhere. When the police later asked them to come in for questioning, they consulted their lawyers and later the police served them a notice asking to appear again on November 21 here.
Sakunia this morning had tweeted: “We were supposed to leave for the capital Agartala but have been not allowed to move despite full cooperation. There are around 16-17 police deployed outside our hotel.”