Tripura scribe murder: INS demands action against culprits

New Delhi, Sept 21: The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) today condemned the brutal killing of Shantanu Bhowmik, a television journalist from Tripura, and demanded that the state government take strict action against the culprits. In a statement, the INS said, “On behalf of the entire print media fraternity in India, Akila Urankar, president of INS, condemns the senseless slaying of a journalist Shantanu Bhowmik in Tripura whilst he was discharging his professional duties”. It has also demanded that the Tripura government to bring the culprits to book and put in place a mechanism that will ensure that journalists are able to perform their duties without fear or hindrance. Twenty seven-year-old Shantanu Bhowmik, working for a local television news channel, known to align with the Left ideology was allegedly surrounded by Indigenous Peoples’ Front of Tripura (IPFT) supporters between Mandwai and Jirania when he was returning to Agartala with his camera person. He and his cameraman were cornered by the attackers. Bhowmik was attacked with sharp weapons on the head, neck, hand and legs while the cameraman managed to escape and report the matter to the Jirania police. The young scribe succumbed to his injuries at the Agartala Govt Medical College yesterday. UNI