Tension escalated at the Guwahati Press Club as journalists staged a protest against the arrest of senior journalist Dilwar Hussain Mazumdar. Mazumdar was detained after questioning Assam Cooperative Apex Bank’s Managing Director, Dambaru Saikia, during a protest against alleged financial irregularities in the institution.Tension escalated at the Guwahati Press Club as journalists staged a protest against the arrest of senior journalist Dilwar Hussain Mazumdar. Mazumdar was detained after questioning Assam Cooperative Apex Bank’s Managing Director, Dambaru Saikia, during a protest against alleged financial irregularities in the institution.
Mazumdar was arrested late on March 25 under Sections 351(2) and 3(1)(r) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 2015. The charges, which seemingly had no direct connection to his inquiries into the bank’s alleged corruption, have sparked widespread outrage in the media fraternity.
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The day began with Mazumdar covering a demonstration by Assam Jatiya Yuva Shakti, which was protesting against financial irregularities in the Apex Bank. During the protest, he posed sharp questions to the bank’s MD, Dambaru Saikia.
Saikia reportedly invited Mazumdar inside the bank premises, where the journalist later claimed he was intimidated and his phone was forcibly wiped of all recorded footage. Other journalists at the scene also alleged that they were pressured to delete their recordings.
Subsequently, Mazumdar proceeded to the Panbazar police station to file a complaint against Saikia. Instead of registering his First Information Report (FIR), police detained him for hours. By 11:30 PM, he was formally arrested on allegations of making an offensive remark towards a Scheduled Tribe individual—an accusation he has categorically denied.
His family, unaware of his detention for hours, was further distressed when Mazumdar—who suffers from diabetes—was reportedly denied access to his medication. Even his wife’s attempts to provide him with essential medicine were allegedly blocked by the authorities.
As news of his arrest spread, journalists and media professionals, including prominent figures from regional media, gathered outside the Panbazar police station. They condemned the arrest as an attempt to suppress independent journalism and demanded Mazumdar’s immediate release. Protesters remained at the station past midnight, expressing their outrage at what they described as a blatant misuse of legal provisions to target the press.
The protest intensified at Guwahati Press Club, where journalists clashed with police, alleging that the arrest was a calculated move to discourage investigative journalism and protect influential figures from scrutiny.
Mazumdar’s arrest is the latest in a series of incidents raising concerns about press freedom in Assam and India at large. The arrest of journalists on controversial charges has become a recurring theme in recent years, with media watchdogs repeatedly warning about increasing state pressure on independent reporters.
With the pressure mounting, journalist unions and civil rights organisations have demanded a transparent investigation into Mazumdar’s arrest, questioning the timing and nature of the charges. Many are calling for an immediate withdrawal of the case and for authorities to ensure that press freedom is upheld in the state.
