Guwahati, Mar 26: A journalist from Assam has been arrested after questioning the Managing Director (MD) of a cooperative bank over alleged financial irregularities. Dilwar Hussain Mozumder, the chief reporter of the digital news portal The Cross Current, was detained by the police for over nine hours before his arrest on Tuesday night.

The incident occurred when Mozumder, also the assistant general secretary of the Gauhati Press Club, participated in a protest organized by the youth wing of Assam Jatiya Parishad (JYS) in front of the Assam Cooperative Apex Bank Ltd. The protest was aimed at raising concerns over the bank’s alleged financial mismanagement.

Following the protest, Mozumder was summoned to the Panbazar police station, where he was arrested under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including charges related to criminal intimidation, as well as sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

According to the complaint, Mozumder’s remarks were alleged to have insulted and offended the complainant, a member of the Scheduled Tribe community. Police officials stated that the charges were cognisable and non-bailable, which led to his immediate arrest to prevent any interference with witnesses or tampering with evidence.

Mozumder, however, has defended his actions, claiming that his video footage of the protest was deleted in the MD’s office and that he was pressured to end the demonstration. His wife and lawyer were allowed to meet him at the police station after repeated requests for medical attention.

The arrest has drawn strong condemnation from various media organizations, and protests are being planned for Wednesday. Opposition parties, including Congress, Raijor Dal, and Assam Jatiya Parishad, have demanded the immediate release of the journalist.