Kolkata : Three journalists were badly beaten up by the police yesterday when there was a mad scramble for space to cover a programme attended by state Governor M K Narayanan and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at a function held in front of the relocated state secretariat.
The space was too narrow for the cameramen and TV crew to fit in when a photo session was on after the Governor released the first-ever ‘Administrative Calendar' of the state government.
The space was so cramped that some cameramen were pushed to the boundary of the security area, forcing the police to continuously push them.
As some lensmen asked why the police personnel were pushing them, Assistant Commissioner of Detective Department, Howrah Police Commissionerate, Tanmoy Roy replied, “We have the right to do so.”
This annoyed the journalists who strongly protested against the reply and shouted slogans against Roy and his fellow officer Rakesh Singh.
In response, the police beat them up causing serious injuries to three persons, including a reporter of a vernaclular daily ‘Bartaman', Raju Chackraborty, and a lensman of Bangladesh-based publication ‘Pratham Aalo', Bhaskar Mukhopadhyay.
Journalists present on the occasion immediately rushed to the Governor demanding action against the erring policemen. The Governor assured the journalists of action and immediately asked Chief Secretary Sanjay Mitra and Kolkata Police Commissioner Surojit Kar Purokayastha to look into the matter.
In protest against their ‘manhandling' at the hands of the police, all journalists present refused to accept refreshment offered by the government on the occasion.
Howrah police commissioner Ajay Ranade said that an inquiry has been ordered into the incident. The Press Club, Kolkata, condemned the “police attack” on journalists and demanded action “guilty police personnel”.
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