A lady reporter of ETv and her camera accompanist have been subjected to police atrocities of grave nature while covering Sri Jagannth Car Festival at Bhubaneswar today. Media Unity for Freedom of Press (MUFP) has condemned the barbaric act. We publish the statement below:
MUFP strongly condemns the barbaric conduct of Bhubaneswar Police that has outraged the modesty of lady reporter Ipsita Madhumita of ETV who was covering the ISCON organized car festival of Sri Jagannath at Bhubaneswar. Police also have attempted to murder her accompanist cameraman Debasis Mallick and destroyed his camera, because he protested against the barbaric conduct on the spot.
MUFP holds that the climate of crime to which administrative inaction against culprits has largely contributed, has culminated in molestation of a lady reporter by the police personnel.
MUFP calls upon the Chief Minister to wake up and stop the police playing a menace as such and to instantly put the concerned police and take strongest possible criminal action against them for the heinous crime they have committed, which should be exemplary of punishment to police personnel for such offense.
MUFP also demands that both of the affected media persons be adequately compensated by the State .
MUFP calls upon media persons to strongly protest against and condemn this police atrocity with all the strength within their command..Subhas Chandra Pattanayak,
Prasanta Patnaik,
D.N.Singh.
Sampad Mohapatra,
Rabi Das,
Sudhir Patnaik,
Gopal Mohapatra,
Dwijen Padhi
Prafulla Das.