Amid widespread denunciation of the brutal police assault on a news reporter on duty in Bhubaneswar on Monday, advocate of Odisha High Court and human rights activist Prabir Kumar Das on Tuesday approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) through an application urging it to ensure a fair inquiry into the assault.
He has also asked the commission to award damage to the injured journalist. Das in his petition has alleged that the victim while performing his duties was kicked and caned by policemen in the presence of the Bhubaneswar DCP and Airfield Police Inspector even though he showed his Press identity card. “The manner in which the IPS officer and the Police Inspector watched silently when the reporter was beaten indicates that the two officers had their tacit support for scribe bashing,” Das has stated.
Terming it as an attack on freedom of Press and violation of basic human rights guaranteed under Articles 19 (1)a and 19 (1)g read with Article 21 of Constitution of India, Das has urged the commission to award a damage of Rs 1 lakh to the journalist, who had to be hospitalised.