Indian army officer in custody for allegedly ordering to shoot journalist
JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 23 November 2017
Join our WhatsApp channel
A senior Indian army officer has been arrested for allegedly ordering the murder of journalist Sudip Dutta Bhaumik. The incident has raised significant concerns regarding press freedom in India.Summary
Indian police have arrested a senior army officer for the murder of a journalist shot dead while investigating allegations of financial fraud against him.
Reporter Sudip Dutta Bhaumik was allegedly killed by a junior officer when he went to a paramilitary base in the northeastern state of Tripura Tuesday to investigate a story.
Police said Tapan Debbarma, the commandant of the Second Tripura State Rifles, was arrested Wednesday on charges that he ordered his bodyguard to shoot the reporter.
“He (Debbarma) was arrested yesterday and produced before the magistrate. He has been remanded to 10 days of police custody,” local police superintendent Pradeep Dey told AFP on Thursday.
“His security guard Nandu Reang was arrested on Tuesday.”
On Wednesday, Bhaumik's editor Subal Kumar Dey said that the murder was linked to articles the reporter had written.
The journalist worked for the leading Bengali newspaper Syandan Patrika in Tripura where several tribal militant groups oppose Bengali-speaking immigrants.
He was the third journalist to be killed in as many months in India. Newspapers in Tripura on Thursday carried blank editorial pages in protest.
In September, a reporter in the state was lynched by a mob during clashes between police and warring political factions. His mutilated body was found the next day.
Also in September, gunmen shot dead renowned journalist Gauri Lankesh in the southern city of Bangalore.
No arrests have been made in her killing, but some believe she was targeted for her outspoken criticism of Hindu nationalism.
The Committee to Protect Journalists says 41 reporters have been killed in India since the early 1990s, a figure that excludes the two latest deaths in Tripura. - AFP
Key Points
- Police arrested Tapan Debbarma for allegedly ordering the shooting of journalist Sudip Dutta Bhaumik.
- Bhaumik was investigating financial fraud when he was killed at a paramilitary base.
- His death marks the third journalist killed in India in three months.
- Local newspapers protested by publishing blank editorial pages.
- The Committee to Protect Journalists reports 41 journalists killed in India since the early 1990s.
Ask AI: Understand this story your way
AI EnabledDig deeper, ask anything — get instant context, background, and clarity.
Disclaimer: This feature is powered by AI and is intended to help readers explore and understand news stories more easily. While we strive for accuracy, AI-generated responses may occasionally be incomplete or reflect limitations in the underlying model. This feature does not represent the editorial views of JournalismPakistan. For our full, verified reporting, please refer to the original article.
