Silent protest plan against tainted policemen

 

COOCH BEHAR, Oct. 7: Demanding legal actions against the policemen involved in the attack on two media persons the aggrieved journalists are going to organise a silent rally wearing black badges in Cooch Behar town on Tuesday. Not only journalists but also citizens from various walks of society are expected to participate in the rally. The decision on holding of the rally was adopted at a meeting of journalists held last night in Cooch Behar.

 

At the meeting the participants opined that a section of police practice corruption regularly and the two pressmen were assaulted when they were trying to disclose an example of misdeed.

 

It may be recalled here that some policemen assaulted two pressmen - Mr Partha Chakraborty and Mr Ashok Dey - attached with a Bengali TV channel, brutally on Thursday morning when they were filming an act of extortion by some policemen from a vehicle driver who was carrying patients to MJN Hospital. Between the two injured journalists Mr Chakraborty is still under medical care in a nursing home in Siliguri.

 

Cooch Behar Press Club sources alleged that by suspending two assistant sub-inspectors the police are trying to wash their hands of all the crimes they did. The FIR lodged at Kotowali police station by a victim was recorded as a mere general diary (GD). This cannot bring justice, they alleged. They demanded specific legal action against the tainted policemen.

 

Meanwhile, Cooch Behar SP Mr Anil Kumar denied meeting the members of Press Photographers' Association on Friday. When they contacted the SP over phone he reportedly misbehaved with them. This was nothing but a bid to shield the corrupted policemen for shady reasons, they alleged.

 

After Tuesday's silent rally a mass signed appeal will be sent to the state Chief minister through Cooch Behar DM requesting his intervention into the matter. In that appeal the signatories will demand initiation of legal action against the tainted policemen involved in the attack on the pressmen and begging of apology by the SP to the photographers with whom he misbehaved. []