Assam reporter arrested again; ‘he is not even a journalist’, says CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Mozumdar, a reporter with the Assam-based digital media portal The CrossCurrent, was detained in the Pan Bazar police station on Tuesday after he went to cover a protest against the ACAB. He was arrested late Tuesday night based on a complaint filed by a security guard at the bank, who alleged criminal intimidation and violation of the SC/ST Act.

The court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate granted Mozumdar bail on Wednesday evening, but he remained in the Guwahati Central Jail throughout Thursday. Around 8 pm, he was taken from the jail to the Pan Bazar police station again.

“He has been arrested in connection with another FIR based on a complaint by the bank MD. He will be produced before the court tomorrow; we will move for his bail in this case as well,” said his lawyer, Santanu Borthakur.

In this FIR, the MD, Dombaru Saikia, whom Mozumdar had approached for a comment, has alleged that the journalist unlawfully entered the first floor of the bank and attempted to take away documents.

Before Mozumdar was arrested in the second case, Chief Minister Sarma told reporters that “two-three cases” had been registered against him and he would be arrested in all. Sarma also said he could seek bail.

Journalists and journalist bodies had protested against Mozumdar’s arrest on Wednesday, calling it an attack on press freedom. However, on Thursday, Sarma questioned whether Mozumdar can be called a journalist, saying that the Assam government does not officially recognise people working in online news portals as journalists.

“Legacy media is recognised as journalists by the Assam government. But YouTube channels, portals – the recognition of these is just something that is being discussed. A decision has not been made on this… We don’t register them, we don’t give them advertisements, we don’t give them ID cards. So this person does not come under the Assam government’s understanding of journalist,” he said. He also alleged that he should be considered a businessman and claimed that he owns a dumper business.

He also stated that Mozumdar was not arrested on journalism-related charges.

“He went to a bank, he is not even a journalist… He might have gone for personal work; no one can say… If a journalist goes and fights with someone, will he not be arrested?… We will not arrest for any write-up. If you write something against me, you will not be arrested for that… The freedom that journalists have is for writing, but what they go and speak about in an office; that is a different issue,” he said.

He also posted a statement on X, stating: “I would like to clarify that Assam police has not arrested any journalist in recent times.”

The CrossCurrent editor Arup Kalita, however, pointed to Mozumdar’s career of over a decade in different organisations and the fact that he is the Assistant General Secretary of the Guwahati Press Club.

“He joined DY 365 (an Assamese satellite news channel) in 2011 and worked there for a long time. He joined us in 2022, and then in the middle, he also worked in another organisation and rejoined us again just about a month ago. He is also an elected office bearer of the Guwahati Press Club. So the Chief Minister saying that he is not a journalist doesn’t mean much,” said Kalita.