MP: Journalists claim they were assaulted in Bhind SP’s office

Pritam Singh Rajawat who runs a YouTube channel, Shashikant Goyal who runs a news portal and Amarkant Chouhan who works for a news channel alleged in a complaint submitted to the district collector that they were assaulted on May 1

Bhind: Three journalists in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhind district alleged on Saturday that they were beaten up or manhandled inside the office of Superintendent of Police, an allegation he denied.SP Asit Yadav suggested that someone was instigating the journalists.

Pritam Singh Rajawat who runs a YouTube channel, Shashikant Goyal who runs a news portal and Amarkant Chouhan who works for a news channel alleged in a complaint submitted to the district collector that they were assaulted on May 1.

According to Rajawat, he visited the SP’s office to extend the invitation of a programme to mark his uncle’s retirement from the Army. The SP, however, blamed him for airing reports against the police and he was thrashed, he alleged.

Rajawat then called Goyal who rushed to the SP’s office. An assistant sub-inspector allegedly thrashed Goyal, the latter claimed.

Amarkant Chouhan stated that the SP called him, and when he did not pick up the call, an ASI called him and summoned to the SP’s chamber.

As he reached there, he was abused and his mobile phone was snatched, Chouhan alleged. Reacting to the allegations, SP Yadav claimed these three journalists later stated in a video that they levelled the allegations in a fit of emotion.

“I cannot say anything about who is instigating them,” he added. Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Umang Singhar termed the incident as shameful.

“The thrashing of journalists by the police in Bhind, the brutality in the SP office and the destruction of evidence are proof of how difficult it has become to present the truth today,” he said.

It was an attempt to suppress the voice of democracy and the BJP government should conduct an impartial investigation and take strict action “so that attacks on journalists in Madhya Pradesh stop,” said the Congress leader.

State BJP spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi said the ruling party respects the media and its freedom. The government and the party have taken notice of the allegations, he added.