GUWAHATI, March 26: Protests have erupted across Assam on Wednesday, with journalists leading the charge in condemning the arrest of Dilwar Hussain Mozumder, a senior reporter of The Cross Current.
Journalists in Guwahati staged a protest march from the Guwahati Press Club to the Pan Bazar Police Station, voicing strong opposition to Mozumder’s arrest. Demonstrations have also spread to other parts of the state, including Sibsagar, Jorhat, and Dibrugarh, highlighting widespread outrage over the incident.
The Assam Women Journalists’ Forum has issued a statement condemning Mozumder’s arrest, underscoring concerns for press freedom and the rights of journalists to report without fear of intimidation or reprisal.
Mozumder was detained by the police for over nine hours before being arrested early on Wednesday. His arrest followed his involvement in questioning the Managing Director (MD) of the Assam Cooperative Apex Bank during a protest about alleged financial irregularities. The protest, led by the Assam Jatiya Parishad’s youth wing, Jatiya Yuva Shakti (JYS), took place in front of the Assam Cooperative Apex Bank Ltd.
The police arrested Mozumder after midnight, sparking immediate backlash from the journalistic community and civil society. He was charged under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including criminal intimidation, as well as the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Law enforcement officials stated that the arrest was necessary to prevent Mozumder from influencing witnesses or tampering with evidence. However, Mozumder has maintained that he was merely performing his duty as a journalist in seeking transparency regarding the bank’s financial practices.
A complaint filed by a Scheduled Tribe individual accused Mozumder of insulting and offending them during his questioning of the MD. As a result, the police labeled the offense as cognizable and non-bailable under the relevant sections, leading to his immediate arrest.
The arrest has been widely denounced by media organizations, which view it as an attack on press freedom. Journalists and activists have organized protests demanding Mozumder’s release, with particular focus on the alleged mistreatment he endured while in custody, including claims that a video recording of the protest was deleted from his device by the MD’s office.
Mozumder has also alleged coercion to halt the demonstration, further fueling the outcry. Political parties, including Congress, Raijor Dal, and Assam Jatiya Parishad, have joined in condemning the arrest and are calling for Mozumder’s immediate release.
