Assam journalist beaten by home guard, probe on

A journalist in Assam’s Cachar district, who is a contributor to Hindustan Times, on Sunday said he was thrashed by a home guard in a government hospital on Saturday night.

The journalist, Biswa Kalyan Purkayastha, said the incident took place at Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) when he went to hand over food to his sister-in-law, who gave birth on November 11 and is undergoing treatment for post-pregnancy issues.

“At around 11:20pm on Saturday, I went to SMCH where a few men in uniform were misbehaving with people. When I requested them to behave properly, one of them started beating me with a stick,” Purkayastha said.

He said he sustained severe injuries in the assault and filed an FIR at Silchar Sadar Police Station on Sunday.

Cachar superintendent of police Numal Mahatta, who met Purkayastha in the hospital on Saturday, said: “We have instructions from the chief minister to provide adequate security to the journalists. We are taking proper steps so that these kinds of incidents never happen again.”

Police said the accused home guard, S Deb, has been suspended and detained for interrogation. “We are investigating the matter and appropriate actions will be taken against him,” an officer said, seeking anonymity.