AGARTALA, April 29 (TIWN): Severe attacks are being held on journalists, media persons in Tripura. On Sunday evening Hallabol Channel former reporter Saikat Talapatra was arrested from Agartala Airport when he was flying to Kolkata after fabricated case was lodged against him. The case was lodged after he posted about Biplab Deb and allegedly shared news published in various national media about the ongoing divorce case of Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb and his wife. Saikat Talapatra also didn’t directly mentioned any name in his post but still police lodged FIR and today he would produced before the court. Hallabol Channel Editor Prasanta Bhattacharjee said, he will fight for his staff at court. Another police official Jamal Hussein was also arrested after he shared news about the divorce case of Biplab Deb and his wife, but immediately he was released in court order as sharing a news doesn’t consider as crime.

Shaikat’s arrest was a part of ongoing arrests of various people including a police constable Jamal Hossain after they shared news about Chief Minister Biplab Deb’s ongoing divorce case in court at Delhi, whereas Biplab Deb didn’t dare to file any case against any national media houses which are still strict to their stand that Biplab Deb is undergoing divorce case with wife, neither the CM filed any case against all these media houses. 

Before the arrest, Biplab Deb’s wife directly told media that either “legal” or “illegal”, but they will take action against all who talked about the divorce case. Earlier, in Manipur Kishorchandra Wangkhem was arrested in November 2018 after he criticized BJP and RSS.

 Since BJP came in power attacks on journalists have increased double. A 40 years old newspaper Daily-Desher-Katha, TV channel Mrinalini ENN, Channel Din Raat were shutdown by Biplab Deb Govt.

Attacks on Tripurainfoway.com was covered nationwide. TIWN Editor’s senior citizen parents, journalists, photographers all were harassed by police which were stopped after High Court intervened.

In last 15 days, across Tripura 7 journalists were physically attacked.