In a clear case of obstruction of work and intimidation, the Assam Police arrested journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder on 25 March, based on a complaint filed by the Assam Cooperative Apex Bank Limited, in which Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma serves as director and BJP MLA Biswajit Phukan is the chairman.
Mozumder, who has since been released, was initially arrested by the Guwahati police in connection with a case filed by a bank employee when he went to cover a protest against alleged financial irregularities in the Assam Cooperative Apex Bank Limited. He was granted bail the following day but was immediately re-arrested in a second case filed by the managing director of the bank for allegedly attempting to steal valuable bank documents.
Mozumder is the chief reporter of the digital portal The Crosscurrent, known for its critical investigative reporting.
Across the country, reporters and other media organisations reacted strongly to Mozumder’s arrest, further highlighting the police action and the activities of the bank itself. Mozumder is also the assistant general secretary of the Gauhati Press Club, which rallied behind him. The Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists, in its condemnation, urged authorities to respect the constitutional protections guaranteed to journalists and to refrain from using coercive tactics to suppress the freedom of the press.
Mozumder and The Crosscurrent are critical of the Sarma government and have often posed tough questions regarding the government’s financial dealings, as well as those of his family, who have various business interests, including in the media.
Chief Minister Sarma may have gotten him arrested to warn other reporters, but it seems the move backfired, putting him under the spotlight. Not one to shy away from attention with his media-grabbing, outrageous comments, Sarma may now have to keep quiet for some time.
Sarma may also be well-advised not to make any misadventures. It is crucial that the media is allowed to do its job, even though the BJP does not necessarily believe in media freedom.