Anti-Maoist group, Bastar police compel scribe to leave Jagdalpur

RAIPUR: A freelance reporter contributing to news portal Scroll.in was “forced” to leave Jagdalpur following alleged intimidation by the Bastar police and a local group Samajik Ekta Manch that claims to be a forum against Maoists.

“An atmosphere of insecurity and relentless intimidation has compelled me to leave Jagdalpur. Despite reassurances from CM Raman Singh, it is evident that journalists are still being threatened and intimidated”,

Malini Subramaniam, who writes for scroll.in told Hindustan Times. She left Bastar along with her husband and a teenaged daughter.

On February 7, around 20-odd men from Samajik Ekta Manch protested outside her house and “warned” her not to tarnish the image of the police. Later in the night, they started pelting stones at her house breaking the rear window of her car. “It took the police two days to register an FIR in the case. The anti-Maoist forum organised rallies demanding my arrest and created an environment of insecurity for me and my family.

The police even wrote a letter to my landlord making spurious claims about me and summoned him to the police station”, she said. At a time when the nation is outraged about attacks on journalists, one would expect the police to do its utmost to protect citizens and members of the press, she said.

Following the intervention of the CM Singh, the Bastar IGP SRP Kalluri and the SP R N Dash visited her house. “I have no information regarding her leaving Jagdalpur. All allegation of police intimidation are baseless. I along with Bastar IG visited her at her house and had assured safety of her family,” the Dash told HT.