Assam Police Seek 5-Day Custody of Journalist Dilwar Hussain Mazumdar During Court Hearing

Assam Police Seek 5-Day Custody of Senior Journalist Dilwar Hussain Mazumdar Amid Bail Uncertainty

Senior journalist Dilwar Hussain Mazumdar was produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court in Guwahati on Wednesday, March 26, where the hearing on his case is currently underway. The Assam Police have sought five days of custody, but legal experts argue that cases involving the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act should be heard by a special court, not the CJM. This procedural confusion has raised concerns about Mazumdar’s chances of securing bail.

Mazumdar was arrested late Tuesday night, following his detention during a protest against alleged corruption in the Assam Cooperative Apex Bank. He had confronted the bank's Managing Director, Dambaru Saikia, over the allegations when police intervened.

The charges slapped against him—Sections 351(2)/3(1)(r) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 2015—have no direct link to the corruption issue that sparked the protest.

His arrest has drawn widespread criticism across Assam, particularly from the journalist community, who view it as a serious attack on press freedom. Protests erupted outside the Guwahati Press Club, where journalists and media professionals demanded Mazumdar’s immediate release. Tensions escalated as clashes broke out between protestors and the police.

Earlier today, dozens of journalists gathered outside the CJM court, continuing their demonstration against the police action.

Sources revealed that Mazumdar was detained by Panbazar Police on March 25 after confronting the Apex Bank MD. Initially called in for questioning, he was held for nearly 12 hours (from 11 AM to 11 PM) without formal charges being communicated before his arrest later that night.

The case continues to draw attention as press freedom groups and civil society call for transparency and the journalist's immediate release.