Tripura: Press clubs condemn police's 'search' of editor's home 'without warrant'

The Agartala Press Club and Khumulwng Press Club have sought "legal action" against the police for an alleged "search operation" conducted on Saturday at the home of a news channel editor, the Indian Express reported.

While the press clubs did not name the editor, they claimed the police went to his house "without any warrant" and "harassed his relatives", the report said.

A delegation from the press clubs then met a superintendent of police demanding action against the police. Express reported that the delegation included journalists Sourajit Pal, Sebak Bhattacharya, Manish Acharjee, Angshumoy Debbarma, Ranjit Debbarma, and Haniph Ali.

However, Himadri Prasad, the Jirania sub-divisional police officer, told Indian Express no search had been conducted at any journalist's house. "We asked a few persons related to a complaint of a missing vehicle but no search was done in anyone’s residence," Prasad said.

According to a report released by the Right and Risk Analysis Group in February, Tripura saw one of the highest numbers of media houses and journalists targeted in 2021, after Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

In 2020, local journalists had told Newslaundry that intimidation of journalists and violence against them had seen an "unprecedented" rise. Read the report here.