Sudip Datta Bhowmik, a crime reporter, was allegedly shot at by a paramilitary force personnel.
After a senior journalist was
shot dead allegedly by a Tripura State Rifles (TSR) personnel on Tuesday, newspapers in the state capital Agartala today ran blank edit columns in protest. The BJP and Congress have also called a 12-hour state-wide shutdown accusing the ruling CPI(M) government of failing to protect mediapersons as two journalists have been killed in Tripura in the last two months.
"As far as institutional protest is concerned, we have left the editorial page blank for today's edition of our newspaper. Murder of two journalists within two months is a matter of serious concern," Manas Paul, editor, Tripura Times told news agency ANI.
Sudip Datta Bhowmik, 50, was a crime reporter with Bengali daily Syandan Patrika and TV channel "Vanguard" in Tripura. His wife teaches at a government school and they have two children.
According to Mr Bhowmik's editor, he had gone to the headquarters of 2nd battalion of the TSR in RK Nagar, around 30 km from Agartala, regarding an investigative story on "financial irregularities" at the battalion, known for its counter-insurgency operations in Tripura.
Several newspapers in Agartala today ran blank edit columns in protest.
Eyewitnesses reported that the journalist had an argument with Nandu Reang, the accused, following which he pulled out his service revolver and shot at Mr Bhowmick. He died on the spot and the soldier was arrested.
A day later,
Tapan Debbarma, a commandant of the Tripura State Rifles, who the journalist had gone to meet, was also arrested as it is on his alleged orders that Reang shot at Mr Bhowmik.
Various journalist organisations, including the Tripura Working Journalists Association, Tripura Journalists Union (TJU) and the Agartala Press Club have demanded a high-level probe into the incident. They held a silent rally yesterday and also staged a demonstration outside Chief Minister Manik Sarkar's official residence. As a mark of protest, the journalists took off the safety jackets given to them by the police and set them on fire. Security around Mr Sarkar's residence has been tightened.
The government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the case.
The opposition has raised demands for action against the Chief Minister, who is also the state's home minister. "Chief Minister Manik Sarkar should step down immediately," BJP state President Biplab Kumar Deb told the media.
In September, a
28-year-old television journalist, Santanu Bhowmik, was killed by a mob while covering a clash in Mandai, 35 km from Agartala. His mutilated body was found the next day.
As Tripura goes to polls in a few months, the safety of journalists in the state will be a big political issue.