Assam journo held after reporting on cattle smuggling

A journalist of a Guwahati-based satellite news channel was arrested at around 2 am on Thursday on charges of extortion, days after he reported about the alleged involvement of a forest officer in cattle and timber smuggling.

Hours after the journalist, Rajiv Sharma, was arrested from his residence in Gauripur in western Assam's Dhubri district, his ailing father Sudhin Sharma, aged about 64 years died of cardiac arrest on Thursday morning. Rajiv was later granted interim bail in view of his father's death.

Sharma, local reporter of the channel DY365, posted in Dhubri district was arrested a day after divisional forest officer, Biswajit Roy lodged an FIR alleging that the journalist had demanded Rs. 1 lakh from him for hushing up a news report alleging his involvement in cattle and timber smuggling. Roy also alleged that he had demanded another Rs. 2 lakh for his fellow journalists, who were also planning to report about the alleged corruption. Roy further alleged that the journalist tried to outrage modesty of his wife following an altercation in his official bungalow.

Denying the allegations made by Roy in his FIR, Sharma said he was targetted as he was reporting the forest officer's involvement and nexus with cattle and timber smugglers. "I went to his residence a few days ago for a sound byte regarding the news. He offered me Rs. 10,000 to hush up the news. But I turned down his offer. This made him angry and he levelled the false allegation. I want to appeal to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to carry out an inquiry against the officer to make things clear about his nexus with the cattle and timber smuggling. Let there be an inquiry to find out if I have done any wrong here," Rajiv told reporters outside a court in Dhubri.

Smuggling of cattle from the Indian side through the India-Bangladesh border in Dhubri district is rampant.

Sharma has been booked under section 389, 384, 385 (threat for extortion), 354 (criminal force or outraging the modesty of a woman), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC at the Dhubri police station.

The incident triggered a strong reaction among journalists across Assam while the opposition Congress alleged that the journalist was targetted as he exposed the corruption taking place during the BJP-led government's tenure in the state. "Instead of having an inquiry on the alleged involvement of the forest officer in cattle and timber smuggling, this government is targetting those who are raising voice against corruption," leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader, Debabrat Saikia said in a statement.

Guwahati Press Club also sought Sonowal's intervention into the matter to ensure that the journalist was not harassed in the name of investigation. "Sonowal, who is also in charge of the home department should intervene into the case," said a statement issued by the club's president, Manoj Kumar Nath, and general secretary, Sanjoy Ray.

No reaction came from the state government till Thursday evening.

Monojit Singha, a human rights activist lodged a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission seeking its intervention. The human rights body registered a case based on Singha's complaint lodged online.