Digital journalist arrested for corruption reporting in India

JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 1 April 2025 | IFJ Media Release

Dilwar Hussain Mozumder, a digital journalist and member of the Guwahati Press Club, was arrested by Assam Police during a corruption protest. His arrest has drawn condemnation from multiple media organizations and calls for his release, emphasizing concerns over press freedom in India.
Summary

NEW DELHI—Digital journalist and assistant secretary of Guwahati Press Club, Dilwar Hussain Mozumder, was arrested by Assam Police for covering a demonstration against alleged corruption at Assam Co-Operative Bank. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the Indian Journalists Union (IJU), to condemn all charges against the journalist and demand his unconditional release.

Mozumder, chief reporter of digital media portal The CrossCurrent, was arrested by Assam Police on March 25 after covering a demonstration coordinated by Assam Jatiya Parishad's youth wing, Jatiya Yuva Shakti, against the alleged corruption of Assam Co-Operative Apex Bank Ltd. The senior journalist was charged by the Kamrup Chief Magistrate Court on March 26 for violating the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Speaking to local media, Mozumder’s family said he was detained for twelve hours at the Panbazar Police Station on March 24, after requesting to “ask questions” to the bank’s Managing Director, Dambaru Saikia, regarding an alleged multi-million recruitment scam involving two other executive members. Saikia had reportedly asked Mozumbder to request the protestors to leave, to which Mozumbder responded it was not possible to call off the demonstrations.

Later that day, two complaints were filed with the Panbazar police. The first was lodged by the bank’s security guard, Sishul Boro, accusing Mozumder of “criminal intimidation” and “offensive remarks” under Section 351 of the Bharatiya Nayaya Sanhita Criminal Code. The second was filed by Dambaru Saikia, the bank’s Managing Director, who claimed Mozumder “unlawfully entered the first floor of the headquarters and attempted to steal valuable bank documents”.

Several media bodies, including the IJU, Journalists Union of Assam (JUA), Press Club of India (PCI), the Gauhati Press Club (GPC), Assam Women Journalists’ Forum, and Editors’ Guild of India condemned Mozumder’s arrest. On March 25, GPC and JUA journalists led a protest from the Press Club of India to the police station and court premises, demanding his unconditional release. Mozumder was granted bail later that evening.

The IJU said: “Mozumdar’s arrest is sheer gagging of independent reportage, and the FIRs filed appeared to be trumped up charges. Arresting journalists for merely doing his/her duties is a sheer violation of freedom of the press and such curtailment of media rights is unacceptable. The government must refrain from such intimidation and harassment of journalists and respect the rule of law.”

The IFJ said: “The arrest of senior journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder is a transparent attempt to silence critical voices reporting in the public interest. The IFJ is concerned about the deteriorating state of media freedom in India and calls on the authorities to ensure all charges against the journalist are dropped.”

Ù†Ø¦ÛŒ Ø¯ÛÙ„ÛŒ—ÚˆÛŒØ¬ÛŒÙ¹Ù„ ØµØØ§ÙÛŒ Ø§ÙˆØ± Ú¯ÙˆÛØ§Ù¹ÛŒ Ù¾Ø±ÛŒØ³ Ú©Ù„Ø¨ Ú©Û' Ø§Ø³Ø³Ù¹Ù†Ù¹ Ø³ÛŒÚ©Ø±ÛŒÙ¹Ø±ÛŒØŒ Ø¯Ù„ÙˆØ§Ø± ØØ³ÛŒÙ† Ù…Ø¸ÙˆÙ…Ø¯Ø± Ú©Ùˆ Ø¢Ø³Ø§Ù… Ù¾ÙˆÙ„ÛŒØ³ Ù†Û' Ø¢Ø³Ø§Ù… Ú©ÙˆØ¢Ù¾Ø±ÛŒÙ¹Ùˆ Ø¨ÛŒÙ†Ú© Ù…ÛŒÚº Ù…Ø¨ÛŒÙ†Û Ø¨Ø¯Ø¹Ù†ÙˆØ§Ù†ÛŒ Ú©Û' Ø®Ù„Ø§Ù Ø§ÛŒÚ© Ù…Ø¸Ø§ÛØ±Û' Ú©ÛŒ Ú©ÙˆØ±ÛŒØ¬ Ú©Ø±Ù†Û' Ù¾Ø± Ú¯Ø±ÙØªØ§Ø± Ú©Ø± Ù„ÛŒØ§Û" Ø§Ù†Ù¹Ø±Ù†ÛŒØ´Ù†Ù„ ÙÛŒÚˆØ±ÛŒØ´Ù† Ø¢Ù Ø¬Ø±Ù†Ù„Ø³Ù¹Ø³ Ù†Û' Ø§Ù¾Ù†ÛŒ Ø´Ø±Ø§Ú©Øª Ø¯Ø§Ø± ØªÙ†Ø¸ÛŒÙ… Ø§Ù†ÚˆÛŒÙ† Ø¬Ø±Ù†Ù„Ø³Ù¹Ø³ ÛŒÙˆÙ†ÛŒÙ† Ú©Û' Ø³Ø§ØªÚ¾ Ù…Ù„ Ú©Ø± Ø§Ø³ Ú¯Ø±ÙØªØ§Ø±ÛŒ Ú©ÛŒ Ù…Ø°Ù…Øª Ú©ÛŒ ÛÛ' Ø§ÙˆØ± Ù…Ø¸ÙˆÙ…Ø¯Ø± Ú©ÛŒ ØºÛŒØ± Ù…Ø´Ø±ÙˆØ· Ø±ÛØ§Ø¦ÛŒ Ú©Ø§ Ù…Ø·Ø§Ù„Ø¨Û Ú©ÛŒØ§ ÛÛ'Û"

Ù…Ù‚Ø§Ù…ÛŒ Ù…ÛŒÚˆÛŒØ§ Ø³Û' Ú¯ÙØªÚ¯Ùˆ Ù…ÛŒÚº Ù…Ø¸ÙˆÙ…Ø¯Ø± Ú©Û' Ø§ÛÙ„ Ø®Ø§Ù†Û Ù†Û' Ø¨ØªØ§ÛŒØ§ Ú©Û Ø§Ù†ÛÛŒÚº 24 Ù…Ø§Ø±Ú† Ú©Ùˆ Ù¾Ø§Ù†Ø¨Ø§Ø²Ø§Ø± Ù¾ÙˆÙ„ÛŒØ³ Ø§Ø³Ù¹ÛŒØ´Ù† Ù…ÛŒÚº Ø¨Ø§Ø±Û Ú¯Ú¾Ù†Ù¹ÙˆÚº ØªÚ© ØØ±Ø§Ø³Øª Ù…ÛŒÚº Ø±Ú©Ú¾Ø§ Ú¯ÛŒØ§Û" Ø§Ù† Ú©Ø§ Ù‚ØµÙˆØ± ØµØ±Ù ÛŒÛ ØªÚ¾Ø§ Ú©Û Ø§Ù†ÛÙˆÚº Ù†Û' Ø¨ÛŒÙ†Ú© Ú©Û' Ù…ÛŒÙ†ÛŒØ¬Ù†Ú¯ ÚˆØ§Ø¦Ø±ÛŒÚ©Ù¹Ø±ØŒ Ø¯Ù…Ø¨Ø§Ø±Ùˆ Ø³ÛŒÚ©ÛŒØ§ Ø³Û' Ø§ÛŒÚ© Ù…Ø¨ÛŒÙ†Û Ù…Ù„Ù¹ÛŒ Ù…Ù„ÛŒÙ† Ø¨Ú¾Ø±ØªÛŒ Ø§Ø³Ú©ÛŒÙ†ÚˆÙ„ Ú©Û' Ø¨Ø§Ø±Û' Ù…ÛŒÚº Ø³ÙˆØ§Ù„Ø§Øª Ú©Ø±Ù†Û' Ú©ÛŒ Ø§Ø¬Ø§Ø²Øª Ù…Ø§Ù†Ú¯ÛŒ ØªÚ¾ÛŒØŒ Ø¬Ø³ Ù…ÛŒÚº Ø¨ÛŒÙ†Ú© Ú©Û' Ø¯Ùˆ Ø§Ø¹Ù„ÛŒÙ° Ø¹ÛØ¯ÛŒØ¯Ø§Ø± Ù…Ù„ÙˆØ« ØªÚ¾Û'Û" Ø¨ØªØ§ÛŒØ§ Ø¬Ø§ØªØ§ ÛÛ' Ú©Û Ø³ÛŒÚ©ÛŒØ§ Ù†Û' Ù…Ø¸ÙˆÙ…Ø¯Ø± Ø³Û' Ø§ØØªØ¬Ø§Ø¬ Ø®ØªÙ… Ú©Ø±Ø§Ù†Û' Ú©Ø§ Ú©ÛØ§ØŒ Ù„ÛŒÚ©Ù† Ø§Ù†ÛÙˆÚº Ù†Û' Ø¬ÙˆØ§Ø¨ Ø¯ÛŒØ§ Ú©Û Ù…Ø¸Ø§ÛØ±ÛŒÙ† Ú©Ùˆ Ù…Ù†ØªØ´Ø± Ú©Ø±Ù†Ø§ Ø§Ù† Ú©Û' Ø§Ø®ØªÛŒØ§Ø± Ù…ÛŒÚº Ù†ÛÛŒÚºÛ"

Ù…ØªØ¹Ø¯Ø¯ Ù…ÛŒÚˆÛŒØ§ ØªÙ†Ø¸ÛŒÙ…ÙˆÚº Ø¨Ø´Ù…ÙˆÙ„ Ø§Ù†ÚˆÛŒÙ† Ø¬Ø±Ù†Ù„Ø³Ù¹Ø³ ÛŒÙˆÙ†ÛŒÙ†ØŒ Ø¬Ø±Ù†Ù„Ø³Ù¹Ø³ ÛŒÙˆÙ†ÛŒÙ† Ø¢Ù Ø¢Ø³Ø§Ù… ØŒ Ù¾Ø±ÛŒØ³ Ú©Ù„Ø¨ Ø¢Ù Ø§Ù†ÚˆÛŒØ§ ØŒ Ú¯ÙˆÛØ§Ù¹ÛŒ Ù¾Ø±ÛŒØ³ Ú©Ù„Ø¨ ØŒ Ø¢Ø³Ø§Ù… ÙˆÛŒÙ…Ù† Ø¬Ø±Ù†Ù„Ø³Ù¹Ø³ ÙÙˆØ±Ù…ØŒ Ø§ÙˆØ± Ø§ÛŒÚˆÛŒÙ¹Ø±Ø² Ú¯Ù„Úˆ Ø¢Ù Ø§Ù†ÚˆÛŒØ§ Ù†Û' Ù…Ø¸ÙˆÙ…Ø¯Ø± Ú©ÛŒ Ú¯Ø±ÙØªØ§Ø±ÛŒ Ú©ÛŒ Ù…Ø°Ù…Øª Ú©ÛŒÛ" 25 Ù…Ø§Ø±Ú† Ú©Ùˆ Ø§ÙˆØ± Ú©Û' ØµØØ§ÙÛŒÙˆÚº Ù†Û' Ù¾Ø±ÛŒØ³ Ú©Ù„Ø¨ Ø¢Ù Ø§Ù†ÚˆÛŒØ§ Ø³Û' Ù¾ÙˆÙ„ÛŒØ³ Ø§Ø³Ù¹ÛŒØ´Ù† Ø§ÙˆØ± Ø¹Ø¯Ø§Ù„Øª ØªÚ© Ø§ÛŒÚ© Ø§ØØªØ¬Ø§Ø¬ÛŒ Ù…Ø§Ø±Ú† Ú©ÛŒØ§ Ø§ÙˆØ± Ù…Ø¸ÙˆÙ…Ø¯Ø± Ú©ÛŒ ÙÙˆØ±ÛŒ Ø±ÛØ§Ø¦ÛŒ Ú©Ø§ Ù…Ø·Ø§Ù„Ø¨Û Ú©ÛŒØ§Û" Ø§Ø³ÛŒ Ø±ÙˆØ² Ø´Ø§Ù… Ú©Ùˆ Ù…Ø¸ÙˆÙ…Ø¯Ø± Ú©Ùˆ Ø¶Ù…Ø§Ù†Øª Ù¾Ø± Ø±ÛØ§ Ú©Ø± Ø¯ÛŒØ§ Ú¯ÛŒØ§Û"

" Ø§Ù†ÚˆÛŒÙ† Ø¬Ø±Ù†Ù„Ø³Ù¹Ø³ ÛŒÙˆÙ†ÛŒÙ† Ù†Û' Ø¨ÛŒØ§Ù† Ø¬Ø§Ø±ÛŒ Ú©Ø±ØªÛ' ÛÙˆØ¦Û' Ú©ÛØ§ Ù…Ø¸ÙˆÙ…Ø¯Ø± Ú©ÛŒ Ú¯Ø±ÙØªØ§Ø±ÛŒ Ø¢Ø²Ø§Ø¯ ØµØØ§ÙØª Ú©Ùˆ Ø¯Ø¨Ø§Ù†Û' Ú©ÛŒ Ú©ÙˆØ´Ø´ ÛÛ'ØŒ Ø§ÙˆØ± Ø§Ù† Ú©Û' Ø®Ù„Ø§Ù Ø¯Ø±Ø¬ Ø§ÛŒÙ Ø¢Ø¦ÛŒ Ø¢Ø±Ø² Ø¬Ú¾ÙˆÙ¹Û' Ø§Ù„Ø²Ø§Ù…Ø§Øª Ù¾Ø± Ù…Ø¨Ù†ÛŒ Ù…Ø¹Ù„ÙˆÙ… ÛÙˆØªÛŒ ÛÛŒÚºÛ" ØµØØ§ÙÛŒ Ú©Ùˆ Ø§Ø³ Ú©Û' ÙØ±Ø§Ø¦Ø¶ Ú©ÛŒ Ø§Ù†Ø¬Ø§Ù… Ø¯ÛÛŒ Ù¾Ø± Ú¯Ø±ÙØªØ§Ø± Ú©Ø±Ù†Ø§ Ø¢Ø²Ø§Ø¯ÛŒ ØµØØ§ÙØª Ú©ÛŒ Ø³Ù†Ú¯ÛŒÙ† Ø®Ù„Ø§Ù ÙˆØ±Ø²ÛŒ ÛÛ'Û" ØÚ©ÙˆÙ…Øª Ú©Ùˆ Ø§ÛŒØ³Û' ÛØªÚ¾Ú©Ù†ÚˆÛ' Ø§Ø³ØªØ¹Ù…Ø§Ù„ Ú©Ø±Ù†Û' Ø³Û' Ú¯Ø±ÛŒØ² Ú©Ø±Ù†Ø§ Ú†Ø§ÛÛŒÛ' Ø§ÙˆØ± Ù‚Ø§Ù†ÙˆÙ† Ú©ÛŒ ØÚ©Ù…Ø±Ø§Ù†ÛŒ Ú©Ø§ Ø§ØØªØ±Ø§Ù… Ú©Ø±Ù†Ø§ Ú†Ø§ÛÛŒÛ'Û""

KEY POINTS:

Mozumder was arrested on March 25 for covering a protest against alleged corruption.
He faces charges under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Multiple media bodies have condemned his arrest and called for his immediate release.
The International Federation of Journalists expressed concern over diminishing media freedoms in India.
Mozumder was granted bail later the same evening after his arrest.