Funeral procession of video journalist Shantanu Bhowmik was carried out in Agartala on Thursday amid prohibitory orders.
Shantanu Bhowmik was allegedly killed while he was covering clashes between the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) and the Tripura Rajaer Upajati Ganamukti Parishad (TRUGP) in Mandai, in West Tripura.
Section 144 of CrPC was imposed in more than 12 places in the state following clashes between IPFT and TRUGP. Internet services have also been shut down across the state.
His body was recovered near a stadium by police. He was taken to GB Pant Medical College and Hospital but was declared brought dead by the doctors.
According to media reports, chaos erupted after police resorted to lathicharge to disperse crowd.
Several journalists staged a sit-in protest outside Chief Minister Manik Sarkar’s residence demanding the arrest of the perpetrators. Chief minister Manik Sarkar assured the mediapersons of a probe to apprehend the perpetrators.
Earlier, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yachury condemned the attack on the journalist and shared a message on social media.
This ghastly act is about BJP-RSS’ approach to journalists and silencing voices. How desperate it is in Tripura to resort to such tactics. https://t.co/7n06gCKMA8
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) September 20, 2017
IPFT has been agitating for a separate tribal state and is known for its violent protests.
(With agency inputs)