Guwahati: Tensions escalated at the Guwahati Press Club as journalists staged a protest against the arrest of senior journalist Dilwar Hussain Mazumdar. Mazumdar was detained after questioning the Managing Director of Assam Cooperative Apex Bank during a protest against alleged corruption.
The day’s events unfolded with Mazumdar covering a protest organised by Assam Jatiya Yuva Shakti against financial irregularities in the bank. During the demonstration, he posed tough questions to the bank’s MD, Dambaru Saikia, who then invited him inside the bank. However, once inside, Mazumdar alleged that he was intimidated, and his phone was forcibly wiped of all recorded footage. Other journalists were also allegedly pressured to delete their recordings.
Mazumdar’s attempt to file a complaint against Saikia at the Panbazar police station was met with detention for several hours. Later, at 11:30 PM, he was arrested under charges unrelated to the corruption allegations, including making an offensive remark towards a Scheduled Tribe individual – an accusation he strongly denies.
The arrest has sparked widespread outrage among the media fraternity, with demands for Mazumdar’s immediate release and an impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding his arrest. Journalists, including prominent media figures, gathered outside the Panbazar police station, condemning the arrest as a direct attack on press freedom. The protest later escalated to the Guwahati Press Club, where journalists clashed with the police, accusing them of misusing legal provisions to silence independent journalism.
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