Cop-baton charges statesman reporter

Ms Chhettri being examined by a doctor

SNS, 15 September 2017, Kalimpong: The Kalimpong correspondent of The Statesman, Nisha Chettri, was today baton- charged by the district's Additional SP Amlan Ghosh, for no apparent reason or provo cation. The incident quickly drew ire of journalist groups, political parties and individuals.

As part of her duty Ms Chettri was taking photographs of a clash between supporters of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha(GIMM) and police at Motor Stand when Mr Bose ran straight to her and hit her on the hack.

"The blow was so hard that I almost fell on the ground and lost consciousness, even as my back hurt," Ms Chettri said. "As always, I was covering the happenings when a police van, carrying some detained GJMM picketers, was stopped by around100 Morcha supporters.As police tried to make way for the vehicle, they lathi-charged the demonstrators.who started running hefter- skelter," she added.

According to her, the tear gas shells fired at the protesters made matter worse for her. "I saw him (ASP) running towards me and I shouted 'Press Press!, while I lifted my hands, camera in one of them," Ms Chettri said, adding that the blow missed her head by whiskers. 'Writhing in pain, I ran to the ASP and demanded to know why I was treated like that, only to get a quick answer-'no arguments,"' she said.

According to journalists in Kalimpong,the ASP had earlier too hit two scribes during the first day of violence that erupted in Kalimpong on 5 July while he had sought apologies for his action then.

According to Ms Chettri, she and a journalist friend then went to the District Magistrate and told him of the matter.

"We will look into the matter and talk to the police," DM, Dr  Vishwanath, said.

Ms Chettri said the ASP new her personally and that he had seen her performing her duties almost every day ever since the Gorkhaland agitation began in the Hills.

Kalimpong Superintendent of Police, Ajit Singh Yadav, said he will launch an investigation into the incident, speak with the ASP and “do the needful”.

DK Waiba, the assistant general secretary of the Kalimpong Press Club condonned the incident and demanded a judicial probe. "It is unfortunate that while on one hand chief minister Mamata Banerjee very recently condemned the killing of journalist Gaud Lankesh in Bengaluru, on the other, her own police thrashes journalists in her own state," Mr Waiba said, demanding that the CM act against police officers who have been attacking journalists.

The Siliguri Journalists' Club (SJC) also condemned today's police action, "We denounce the incident in the strongest of words. These incidents leave us, scribes, feeling more insecure. If such acts go unabated, the SJC will hit the streets and take up the matter at the highest level," SJC. president Pramod Girl said.

Denouncing the incident, the Darjeeling Press Guild also demanded an enquiry into the incident.

Tourism Minister Gautam Deb said that he believes in the freedom of the Press, "But I do not know under what circumstances the journalist was beaten up by the police in Kalimpong," he merely said.

Veteran CPI-M leader and Siliguri Mayor Asok Bhattacharya denounced the incident and demanded that the state government immediately apologise.

The BJP's Bengal chapter said it strongly condemns such "ill behaviour with the media people time and again." "It reveals that the law and order situation in Bengal has gone to total jeopardy. We must remember that the media is the fourth pillar of our democracy and we should treat them accordingly," the party said.

GJMM chief Bimal Gurung also said his party "strongly condemns attacks on the Press and the lathi- charge of picketers and their arrests in Kalimpong."