In a shocking incident, the Bengal police on Thursday dragged, and arrested a TV reporter of a private news channel who was on the ground reporting the Sandeshkhali incident.
Kolkata: In a shocking incident, the Bengal police on Thursday dragged, and arrested a TV reporter of a private news channel who was on the ground reporting the Sandeshkhali incident. “I am being arrested by police. They are arresting me because I was interviewing the mothers of Sandeshkhali,” said Republic Bangla reporter Santu Pan as he was being dragged by the police at Sandeshkhali ferry ghat.
Reacting to the latest development, Arnab Goswami, Managing Director of Republic TV, said that the company will move to the Calcutta High Court immediately against the arrest of Santu Pan.
Notable Republic Journo Santu Pan has been taken away by Police from Sandeshkhali. We are not yet aware of the sections of arrest. pic.twitter.com/0HpoY2gS6S
— Sudhanidhi Bandyopadhyay (@SudhanidhiB) February 19, 2024
Earlier today, the National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma visited Sandeshkhali and called for resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the imposition of President’s Rule. This comes following the allegations of sexual abuse by TMC leaders in Sandeshkhali.
Sharma, who led a delegation of NCW to the unrest-hit area in North 24 Parganas district, said the visit was aimed at bolstering confidence among women to speak out about their experiences. Amid ongoing tensions in Sandeshkhali over protests against TMC-led atrocities and sexual harassment, police maintained a strong presence as normalcy struggled to return to the area.
“After speaking with women in Sandeshkhali, it’s clear the situation is dire. Numerous women shared their harrowing experiences; one even reported being raped inside a TMC party office. We demand President’s Rule in Bengal, which we will also include in our report,” Sharma stated to PTI.