By Asad Rizvi
Uttar Pradesh has witnessed two brutal attacks against journalists, sparking outrage and raising concerns over press freedom and safety in India’s most populous state. On the intervening night of October 30-31, a journalist was murdered in Fatehpur district, and on October 27, two journalists from Hamirpur district were allegedly stripped, beaten and humiliated by a panchayat chairman and his henchmen. These incidents have fuelled a strong response from media organisations and journalists, who are demanding urgent action to ensure their safety.
Two local journalists from Hamirpur, Amit Dwivedi and Shailendra Kumar Mishra, filed a complaint alleging they were violently assaulted by Sarila Nagar Panchayat chairman Pawan Anuragi and his henchmen. According to their complaint, Anuragi’s men not only beat them but also disrobed them at gunpoint, recorded humiliating videos and even forced them to drink urine.
Dwivedi and Mishra reported the incident to Jariya police station, claiming they were held captive and subjected to severe humiliation. The journalists allege that they were summoned to the Jariya bus stand around 6:20 pm on October 27 by a man named Gangaprasad alias Babu, who had requested a meeting on behalf of Anuragi. Upon their arrival, they were reportedly led to a room in the house of one Akash, where they were confronted by Anuragi and several henchmen, including Akhilesh Rajput, Vikram Yadav, RK. Soni, Akash Anuragi, and Narendra Vishwakarma.
Inside the room, the situation escalated as the chairman’s men allegedly switched off the lights and began to physically assault them. The journalists further claimed they were stripped, threatened with death and coerced into handling weapons for staged photos and videos. During the assault, their phones were confiscated, and they were warned that if they reported the incident, both they and their families would face severe consequences.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.
