A local television journalist was allegedly abducted by drug
smugglers in a vehicle, beaten and then thrown on the road on Sunday
night before they fled the spot at Sonamura in Tripura’s Sepahijala
district.
Speaking to indianexpress.com, Sepahijala District Superintendent of
Police Sudipta Das Monday said that a complaint was registered at
Sonamura police station this morning against “unnamed kidnappers” who
tried to abduct journalist Sadek Miah while he was tailing a suspected
vehicle.
“We have registered a complaint. We are investigating the issue. As
per prima facie, we think it might be a case of road rage. However, all
angles must be investigated. It will be a fair probe”, the official
said. He informed that the journalist alleged in his complaint that
those involved in the incident were wearing a uniform resembling
paramilitary personnel.
“He (Md. Sadek Miah) has not named anybody in particular. But he said
certain people in uniform resembling paramilitary fatigues were
involved. We are investigating possibility of involvement of all
security agencies”, the SP said.
Md. Sadek Miah, who is currently under treatment at Sonamura Sub-Divisional Hospital, was not available for comments.
Subsequently, the Tripura Working Journalist Association (TWJA)
issued a statement saying there are allegations of the involvement of a
Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Tripura Police, a section of
Assam Rifles and Border Security Force (BSF) in the issue.
“Md. Sadek Miah, a journalist serving with local television channel
News Vanguard, was informed yesterday by journalist Biplab Chakraborty
from Melaghar, an adjoining sub-division, about a vehicle without any
registration number plate being suspected to be involved with drugs
smuggling. Biplab reportedly attempted to stop the vehicle at Melaghar
but had a narrow shave from being run over. He informed Md. Sadek Miah
of Sonamura sub-division to take over the issue. The latter spotted the
vehicle at Bridge Chowmuhani in Sonamura and tailed it”, the statement
reads.
TWJA general secretary Debashish Majumder said that Md. Sadek Miah
was stopped by the vehicle after tailing it for some time and certain
individuals including those bearing the uniform abducted Miah, then beat
him black and blue inside the vehicle only to leave the wounded
journalist before fleeing the spot.
The journalists’ body said the attempt to murder Miah was a grave
offense and that it suspects role of international drug cartels with the
incident.
Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on three sides and shares 856 Km
international border with the country. Several patches of the border are
still unfenced in Sepahijala and Dhalai districts, which are suspected
to be corridors of infiltration and drug smuggling.
[Indian Express]
