Assam journo Dilwar Mozumder's detention violates human rights: NHRC

New Delhi: The detention of Assam-based journalist Dilwar Mozumder was a potential violation of human rights if his reporting was accurate, the National Human Rights Commission said on Thursday. The human rights body took suo moto cognisance of the detention of the journo for his reporting of a protest against a bank, which is linked to Chief Minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma, Scroll.in reported.

The protest against the bank, to which Himanta Sarma is the director and BJP leader, and MLA Biswajit Phukan is chairman, was over alleged financial irregularities.

The human rights panel informed that it had issued notice to Assam’s director general of police and the state government, demanding an in-depth report on the matter in four weeks. Further, it was noted that the reason behind the detention of the journalist was not provided.

It was on March 25 that Mozumder, who had been working with the news outlet The CrossCurrent, was arrested. He had sought to ask Dombaru Saikia, the managing director of the Assam Co-operative Apex Bank, questions regarding alleged financial irregularities. On the same day, before his arrest, he had covered the protest by Jatiya Yuva Shakti, the youth wing of the Assam Jatiya Parishad, on financial irregularities of the bank.

First, Mozumder was charged with criminal intimidation in a case filed by a security guard at the bank and provisions under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act. However, he was granted bail the next evening. But, he was taken to the Pan Bazar police station and arrested in connection with a second case filed by Saikia, who claimed that the journalist had trespassed onto the first floor of the office on March 25 and attempted to take away documents. Saikia claimed that Mozumder fled the spot when bank staff raised an alarm.