Killed in the line of duty: Tripura journalist shot dead by State Rifles trooper

On September 20, another journalist was killed by some activists of a party in Mandai, 35 km from Agartala.
Killed in the line of duty: Tripura journalist shot dead by State Rifles trooper
Killed in the line of duty: Tripura journalist shot dead by State Rifles trooper
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A journalist was shot dead on Tuesday by a Tripura State Rifles (TSR) trooper after an altercation in Bodhjung Nagar in Tripura, police said.

"Tapan Debbarma, the bodyguard of the TSR's Second Battalion Commandant, opened fire killing Sudip Datta Bhowmik on the spot," a police officer said.

The body of Bhowmik, a reporter of "Syandan Patrika" and local television channel "Venguard", was brought to Gobinda Ballav Panth Medical College and Hospital Agartala for postmortem.

"Tapan Debbarma, the bodyguard of the TSR's Second Battalion Commandant, opened fire killing Sudip Datta Bhowmik on the spot," a police officer said.

The body of Bhowmik, a reporter of "Syandan Patrika" and local television channel "Venguard", was brought to Gobinda Ballav Panth Medical College and Hospital Agartala for postmortem.

On September 20, a television journalist, Santanu Bhowmik, 28, was killed allegedly by some activists of a party in Mandai, 35 km from Agartala.

Santanu was covering a violent clash between CPI(M) and IPFT supporters.

The Meghalaya Editors' and Publishers' Association (MEPA) and the Shillong Press Club condemned the murder.

In a statement, MEPA General Secretary Phillip Marwein demanded exemplary punishment to deter others, including law enforcers, to stop crimes against media persons which he said occurred there at regular intervals.

"MEPA also demands that the Tripura government ought to immediately extend ex-gratia payment to the bereaved family," Marwein said.

The Shillong Press Club demanded expeditious investigation and timely justice to the bereaved family.

"In a matter of two months, the journalist fraternity in the Northeast in general and Tripura in particular has lost two precious souls who have endeavoured to discharge their professional duties selflessly," a Club statement noted.

An article in Firstpost by Chandrani Sinha says that at least 31 journalists have been murdered in the North East in the last thirty years. Out of these, 24 were in Assam, six were in Manipur and one in Tripura.

“Assam has been one of the most dangerous places in India for journalists. Sadly, the country beyond has hardly taken note of fellow scribes killed in the line of duty in Assam while none of the cases has been solved yet,” Nava Thakuria, secretary of Guwahati Press Club, was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.

On September 5, noted journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh was killed in cold blood in Bengaluru. Police said that Gauri was getting out of her car to open the gate of her house, when assailants shot her. The shots penetrated her chest and she was killed on the spot, reports said. 

(With IANS inputs)

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