Magazine staffers made accused in assault case

Samad Hoque

New Delhi, June 8

Three journalists of an online magazine and residents of Bhajanpura in North East Delhi have got embroiled in cross-cases that were registered in 2020.

Four years after they were attacked, the magazine staffers claimed that on Saturday they got to know that they had been made accused in the case.

According to the magazine, on August 11, 2020, a mob allegedly assaulted three magazine journalists — Shahid Tantray, Prabhjit Singh and a woman — in North East Delhi’s Subhash Mohalla neighbourhood. The woman reporter was allegedly sexually harassed too. After the police intervened in the matter, one of the journalists filed a case.

Prabhjit Singh, one of the reporters who was also reportedly assaulted, in his complaint, alleged that his woman colleague was assaulted and molested by unidentified individuals in Subhash Mohalla.

The journalists claimed that on Saturday, they got to know that the initial complaint was filed by a 36-year-old woman resident of Subhash Mohalla.

The reporter said investigation in his FIR, which detailed the attack on the scribes, remains pending.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, North East, Joy Tirkey, said, “In her complaint, she alleged that the three reporters had molested her, misbehaved with her and assaulted her husband.”

She also accused the reporters of negative reporting aimed at promoting enmity between different religious groups. As part of the investigation, her statement was recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC at the Karkardooma Court, where she reiterated her allegations, a police official said.

“On June 3, 2024, Prabhjit Singh was served a notice to join the investigation, and he complied with it on June 7. Despite multiple attempts, the woman reporter did not join the investigation,” he added.

“Fresh efforts are being made to include her in the investigation as soon as possible,” a police

offical added.