Dark day for Press in Barak Valley; Police officer insults reporter, snatches phone.

Conduct of a Police officer in Karimganj left the press fraternity of Barak Valley in a state of shock. Saturday afternoon at around 3.00 pm the reporters were covering a story in Station Road. As all across in the world, in Karimganj too, reporters were recording videos and clicking pictures on the spot. MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha was also present on the spot.

A man was escorted to the Police jeep and a reporter named Sujon Debroy chased the Police officials to the van with his video recording on. Senior Police officer Faizur Rahman got irked by Debroy’s getting so close to the Police van with his phone’s camera on and that is when Rahman snatched the phone and asked the driver to move on.

Sujon Debroy tried to tell the officer that he is a reporter by profession and was just doing his job, but, that did not make a difference for Rahman and he went to Karimganj Police station with the phone. The reporters present on the spot alleged that Rahman insulted Sujon Debroy by verbally abusing while his way off the spot.

The press fraternity found this as an infringement to freedom of the press and went to the superintendent of Police, Manabendra Dev. Ray with a complaint. Ray immediately asked Rahman to apologise to the reporter and the entire fraternity and return the mobile handset. He aslo assured that an enquiry will  be done to check what happened.