Senior Journalist Dilwar Mozumder Granted Bail Amid Protests Over Arrest

3 weeks ago 26

Imphal: Senior journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder, chief reporter at The CrossCurrent and assistant general secretary of the Guwahati Press Club, was granted bail by the Kamrup Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court on Wednesday, March 26, in one of the two cases filed against him. However, he remains in judicial custody due to procedural delays in submitting the bail bond. Mozumder was arrested late on Tuesday night while covering a protest against alleged corruption in the Assam Cooperative Apex Bank. The protest, organized by the youth wing of the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), took place outside the bank’s premises. According to sources, his arrest followed an alleged confrontation with the bank’s Managing Director, Dambaru Saikia. Sources told The Wire that the Police had registered two cases against Mozumder at Panbazar Police Station. The first (Case No. 110/25) includes charges under Section 3(1)(r) of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (Amendment 2015), and Sections 351(2)/3(1)(r) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), linked to an alleged derogatory remark directed at a tribal individual. The second case (Case No. 111/25) includes multiple sections of the BNS, all considered bailable offences. After he was granted bail, his lawyer also mentioned Case No. 110/25. Speaking to the media, his lawyer S. Tapader said, 'He was granted bail in Case No. 110/25, but he couldn’t furnish the bail bond security. For that reason, he has to remain in jail tonight. Mozumder was produced in court on Wednesday, where he was granted bail in the first case. However, he had to remain in custody overnight due to pending formalities in submitting his bail bond. His release is expected once the necessary paperwork is completed. His arrest triggered widespread protests among journalists and media organizations in Assam. The Guwahati Press Club led a demonstration demanding his immediate release, with journalists marching to the CJM Court in protest. Police presence was heightened during the demonstration, leading to brief tensions between law enforcement and protesting journalists. Journalist associations, civil society members, and opposition leaders have strongly criticized the arrest, calling it an attempt to intimidate the press. The Press Club of India and the Editors' Guild of India have condemned the police action, urging the Assam government to ensure that media professionals can operate without fear of harassment or legal intimidation. “The detention of a journalist for merely performing his duty is deeply concerning. We urge the authorities to release him at the earliest and ensure that press freedom is upheld,” the Guwahati Press Club said in a statement. As legal formalities continue, the case has sparked a larger debate on press freedom in Assam, with many viewing it as part of a pattern of increasing pressure on independent journalists in the region. Join The Wire's Youtube Membership and get exclusive content, member-only emojis, live interaction with The Wire's founders, editors and reporters and much more. Memberships to The Wire Crew start at Rs 89/month. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChWtJey46brNr7qHQpN6KLQ/join

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