Editors Guild of India Condemns Detention of Guwahati Journalist, Calls for Immediate Clarity
(Judicial Quest News Network)
The Editors Guild of India (EGI) has expressed grave concern over the recent detention of journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumdar in Guwahati. Mozumdar, a Chief Reporter for the digital platform The CrossCurrent and Assistant General Secretary of the Guwahati Press Club, was apprehended on Tuesday, March 25, while covering a protest outside the Assam Cooperative Apex Bank.
Reports suggest that Mozumdar was detained after attempting to ask questions to the bank’s Managing Director, who is reportedly involved in allegations of irregularities. His questioning was reportedly met with swift detention, raising serious questions about press freedom and journalistic independence in the region.
Mozumdar was held for several hours and arrested under Section 351(2) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. This move has sparked widespread concern, as the detention of a journalist in the course of their professional duties is a direct affront to press freedom.
The Editors Guild of India has condemned the incident, emphasizing that journalists must be able to carry out their work without fear of harassment, intimidation, or legal retaliation. The Guild expressed alarm over the growing trend of media suppression in India, particularly in the context of increasing attacks on press freedom nationwide.
In a statement, the EGI urged the Assam government to provide an immediate and transparent explanation of the circumstances that led to Mozumdar’s detention. The Guild stressed that no journalist, under any circumstance, should be unjustly detained for simply performing their professional duties.
Furthermore, the EGI has called on all state governments and law enforcement agencies to uphold constitutional values and the fundamental right to a free press. The Guild strongly urged authorities to refrain from using criminal laws as tools to intimidate or silence journalists, underscoring the need for a free and unimpeded media in any democracy.
