Press Club of India Slams Assam Police Over Journalist’s Arrest, Alleges Attempt to Cover Up Corruption

The Press Club of India (PCI) has strongly condemned the Assam Police for the midnight arrest of digital media journalist Dilwar Hussain Mazumdar, calling it an attack on press freedom and a possible attempt to suppress a corruption expose. The PCI also extended solidarity with the Guwahati Press Club (GPC), where Mazumdar serves as the Assistant General Secretary.

Mazumdar was detained at Panbazar Police Station in Guwahati on March 25 afternoon without prior notice to his family or media organization, and with no clear explanation of the charges against him.

The journalist was covering a protest organized by a sister unit of the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) outside the Assam Co-Operative Apex Bank headquarters. The protest aimed to expose alleged corruption in the bank’s recruitment process. During his reporting, Mazumdar approached the bank's Managing Director, Dambaru Saikia, seeking a statement on the allegations. Saikia invited him inside the bank premises for further discussion.

However, soon after leaving the bank, Mazumdar received a call summoning him to Panbazar Police Station, where he was detained. In a later social media post, Mazumdar revealed that his detention was a direct result of questioning the bank’s MD about the alleged scam.

As news of his detention spread, senior journalists and media representatives gathered at the police station demanding his release. Despite repeated appeals, neither his lawyer nor fellow journalists were allowed to meet him.

Further outrage was sparked when it was revealed that Mazumdar, who was observing Ramzan fast, was denied access to Iftar food brought by his wife and also deprived of essential medication for his diabetes. It was only after intense pressure from the journalist community that his wife was allowed a brief meeting late at night.

Post-midnight, the police informed the gathered journalists that Mazumdar had been formally arrested under the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, claiming he had offended a member of the Bodo community—charges the media fraternity believes are an attempt to divert attention from the corruption allegations.

The incident has drawn sharp criticism from journalists’ bodies and civil society, who are calling for Mazumdar’s immediate release and a transparent investigation into the misuse of legal provisions to intimidate the press.

However, the police did not disclose the identity of the complainant or provide details of the alleged offense, further fueling suspicions about the motives behind the arrest.

The Press Club of India (PCI) has strongly condemned the Assam Police's handling of the case, criticizing the lack of transparency and the failure to inform Mazumdar’s family or colleagues about the specific charges against him.

The PCI termed the arrest a blatant attack on press freedom, asserting that it violates Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees the freedom of speech and expression.

The organization has called on the Assam government and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to intervene and ensure that the police act within the framework of justice and uphold the principles of press freedom. The PCI further urged authorities to prevent the misuse of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and protect journalists from fabricated accusations while performing their duties in the public interest.

Mazumdar’s arrest has triggered widespread outrage among journalists, media bodies, and human rights groups, raising serious concerns over the shrinking space for press freedom and governmental accountability in Assam. The incident has intensified demands for an impartial investigation and immediate action to safeguard the rights of journalists and ensure such abuses of power are not repeated.