Lakhimpur organizations condemn arrest of Dhubri journalist Rajib Sarmah

LAKHIMPUR: The North Lakhimpur Press Club (NLPC) has expressed strong resentment over the arrest of electronic media journalist of Dhubri district, Rajib Sarmah on Wednesday night.

A protest meeting held in the club office on Friday vehemently condemned the police who arrested the journalist, treating him like a notorious criminal. Notably, Rajib Sarmah was arrested on the basis of an FIR lodged by Dhubri DFO, Biswajit Ray alleging that Sarmah had demanded money from him. Following the arrest of the journalist, his ailing father died on Thursday morning, allegedly unable to bear the shock of his only son being arrested from his residence at Gauripur.

The protest meeting was chaired by NLPC president-in-charge Kumud Baruah while secretary Karuna Krishna Nath explained the objective of the programme. In connection, senior journalists Jivan Goswami, Ruhiteswar Borah and Ranjit Kakati expressed serious concern over harassment and oppression on working journalists in the State. The meeting unanimously protested against the harassment by police and other unscrupulous elements on journalists.

As per decision taken in the meeting, NLPC submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal through the Deputy Commissioner of Lakhimpur demanding the release of Rajib Sarmah and to initiate steps to stop harassment of working journalists. The Lakhimpur District Journalists' Association (LDJA) also condemned the arrest of the journalist. On behalf of LDJA, secretary Manoj Borpatra Gohain demanded the State Government to release the journalist who had been reporting about the alleged corruption in the forest department, which had aggrieved the department officials and the DFO.

On the other hand, State executive member of Manab Adhikar Sangram Samiti (MASS) and adviser of the Lakhimpur unit of the organization, Raju Singha demanded the withdrawal of the fake case filed against Rajib Sarmah and condemned his arrest. He further demanded to dismiss the DFO from his service and to launch an impartial inquiry into the alleged corruption in Dhubri forest department by a competent authority.

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