Dated 26 March 2025
The South Asia Women in Media (India) condemns in unequivocal terms the arrest and detention of journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder, chief reporter of Cross Currents. Mozumdar, who was arrested for the alleged violation of the SC/ST Act in an altercation with the guard at the Assam Co-operative Apex Bank, has been released on bail from the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate. It is notable that the FIR does not have a complainant.
Mozumder, who is also the Assistant General Secretary of the Gauhati Press Club, was arrested after midnight under Section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for criminal intimidation or the act of threatening someone to harm them or force them to do something, read with relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The troubling background to this arrest is that Mozumder had days earlier interviewed the Managing Director of the bank which faces allegations of malfeasance. Mozumder was summoned to the police station following this interaction and was held for several hours without being told the reasons for his detention. Neither his wife nor his lawyer, nor any of his journalist colleagues were allowed to meet him, which is a violation of his constitutional rights. It needs to be mentioned that Mozumder is a diabetic needing regular medication.
The South Asia Women in Media (India) strongly condemns this act of high-handedness and demands that the FIR against Mozumdar be quashed as we believe that he was arrested for asking questions of a public official, that is for discharging his journalistic duties. We also demand that press freedom be respected by all public entities, and those in office, including as custodians of the public purse.
Signed:
Patricia Mukhim,
President, SAWM (India)
Rachna Khaira,
Secretary, SAWM (India)