Journalists clash with police at Guwahati Press Club over arrest of senior journalist Dilwar Hussain Mazumdar

Tensions ran high at Guwahati Press Club as journalists protested against the arrest of senior journalist Dilwar Hussain Mazumdar, who was detained after questioning the Managing Director of Assam Cooperative Apex Bank during a protest against alleged corruption.

Mazumdar was arrested late on March 25 under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita’s Sections 351(2)/3(1)(r) and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 2015—charges seemingly unrelated to the corruption allegations against the Apex Bank’s MD, which he was investigating at the time.

The day began with Mazumdar covering a protest organized by Assam Jatiya Yuva Shakti against financial irregularities in the bank. During the demonstration, he posed tough questions to the bank’s MD, Dambaru Saikia, who then invited him inside the bank. However, once inside, Mazumdar alleged that he was intimidated, and his phone was forcibly wiped of all recorded footage. Other journalists were also allegedly pressured to delete their recordings.

When Mazumdar proceeded to the Panbazar police station to file a complaint against Saikia, he was detained for hours instead of being allowed to register his FIR. Later, at 11:30 PM, he was arrested on allegations of making an offensive remark toward a Scheduled Tribe individual—an accusation he has strongly denied.

His family was kept in the dark, and despite his critical medical condition (diabetes), even his wife’s attempts to provide medication were reportedly blocked.

As news of the arrest spread, journalists, including prominent media figures gathered outside Panbazar police station. They condemned the arrest as a direct attack on press freedom, remaining at the station until midnight to demand Mazumdar’s release.

The escalating protest reached Guwahati Press Club, where enraged journalists clashed with the police, accusing them of misusing legal provisions to silence independent journalism.

The incident has sparked widespread outrage among the media fraternity, with demands for Mazumdar’s immediate release and an impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding his arrest.