Assam sports journalist Purbajyoti Chutiya found dead in Guwahati

Senior sports journalist Purbajyoti Chutiya was found dead under allegedly "mysterious" circumstances on Monday morning near his Hatigaon residence in Guwahati, according to several northeast publications, including Northeast Now. His blood-stained body was recovered from a drain close to his house.

Chutiya, 53, worked with Niyomiya Barta, an Assamese language daily newspaper, as a sports journalist. Northeast Now reported that he went missing from midnight on Sunday when he "went out to switch on the water pump on the ground floor". His body was found the next day.

The Sentinel reported that Chutiya's wife registered a case at the Hatigaon police station. According to the Assam Tribune, the police examined call records and messages on Chutiya's phone, based on which they detained one Julfikar Ali, a businessman, from Guwahati's Notbama.

Jayanta Barua, the assistant commissioner of police, told Assam Tribune that the police did not initially find any injuries on Chutiya's body during their preliminary investigation. Barua said Ali had lent Rs 50,000 to Chutiya and was "pressuring" him to return it.

Various journalist associations condemned the journalist's death and demanded an inquiry, including the Guwahati Press Club, Journalists Association of Assam, National Union of Journalists India, Assam Sports Journalists Association, Journalists’ Forum Assam, and Assam Olympic Association.