- Abhijit Nath, NET Correspondent, Tripura
Agartala, November 16, 2021 : Two Delhi-based female journalists detained in Assam on charges of disseminating fabricated news regarding communal tensions in Tripura, who were later granted bail by Tripura Court with certain conditions has left for the nation’s capital on Tuesday.
It is reported that the two female journalists – Samriddhi Sakunia and Swarna Jha arrived in Tripura on November 11 last for filing news on violence taking place in different parts of the northeastern state.
Taking to Twitter, Sakunia asserted that their complicity has been transpired in connection with the Kakraban police station case number 2021 KKB 082 dated 14/11/2021 under section 153A, 153B, 193, 504, 120B, 204 IPC regarding creation of hatred between communities by fabricating, concealing of record etc in furtherance of a criminal conspiracy.
Tripura police investigated and found that there were discrepancies in what had really happened and the way Samriddhi Sakunia presented the information in her videos.
After further verification, police disclosed that no ‘Quran Sharif’ were burnt in the prayer hall, which is owned by Rahamat Ali, a resident of Hurijala under the jurisdiction of Kakraban Police station.
Accordingly, Tripura police contacted Samriddhi over telephone the morning of November 14 last and she was specifically asked to provide details of the document visible in the video.
She said that the document was available at the alleged place of occurrence and it is the responsibility of police to trace the document. She also informed that they will be leaving Tripura by 5.20 PM flight from Agartala.
Accordingly, Samriddhi was requested by a police official to wait at Agartala till the real picture is revealed.
The Tripura police made further verification by examining the house owner Rahamat Ali by the investigating officer on November 14 last and Rahamat told that there might be some burned documents and these were taken away by a team from Delhi who visited the place of occurrence in the last part of October 2021.
Taking cue from the recent state of violence at Amravati and other parts of Maharashtra as a repercussion of communal incident it has become clear that some vested interest are trying to flare up the communal incident in Tripura.
The Investigating Officer (IO) felt it is wise to lodge a suo-moto complaint for creating hatred between religious group by false fabrication, concealing documents etc. which refers to Kakraban police station case number 82/2021, dated 14/11/2021 under section 153A, 153B, 193, 504, 120B and 204 IPC.
But instead of coming to Agartala, the two journalists allegedly made an escape towards Assam. Based on such inputs, Assam police were contacted who detained both the journalists from Nilam Bazaar police station area in Karimganj district at around 3 PM on November 14 last.
Dharmananagar women police station staff of North Tripura district reached at Nilam Bazaar to nab the detained individuals.
The investigating officer of Kakraban police station went to Dharmanagar and brought the detained persons for further course of legal action at 1 AM of November 15.
“My colleague Swarna Jha and I had come to Tripura for ground reporting on violence in the state. Before going to Unakoti district, we had gone to the police station and had informed them that we are here in Tripura for reporting purposes and requested security from cops. While reporting at Pal Bazaar and Chowmuhani Bazar areas, policemen were with us for the whole day. Around 8.30 PM, we got a call from Bidhannagar police station, asking for our transportation details. After consulting our lawyers, we provided all the details.” – informed by Samriddhi through a video message.
“Around 5.30 AM, while we were checking out from the hotel, policemen came and said that a complaint has been lodged against us by the members of VHP, stating we have disrupted communal harmony. We have given a notice under section 41 (A) of CrPC and have asked us to appear before the police on November 21.” – she further added.
On November 15, both the female journalists after hours of questioning at Maharani outpost under Kakraban police station were produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate of Gomati district, judge Shubra Nath in the afternoon.
Defense counsel and senior advocate Pijush Kanti Biswas fought the case in their favour while government APP Sumanta Chakraborty raised the parts of communal issues based on their reporting and propaganda in social media platforms.
Hearing both sides, CJM of Gomati district granted condition bail with a bond of Rs 75,000 each person, tender appearance before the IO on every first day of the month starting from the appearance on the next day of their release until further order or filing of charge sheet whichever is earlier.
Samriddhi and Swarna appeared before Kakraban police station on Tuesday (November 16) and left for New Delhi in the afternoon.
Tripura’s Information and Cultural Affairs Minister (ICA) Sushanta Chowdhury, however, reacted sharply on their way of presenting facts through concerned reports and accused both of them of inciting communal disharmony.
According to Chowdhury, both of them went to Unakoti district and made inflammatory statements. “Instead of cooperating with the police summons, they wanted to run away”, he said.