Hours after the detention of two female journalists by Assam Police amid violence in Tripura, the state police on detention of the two journalists said that it has become clear that some vested interest are trying to flare up the communal incident.
"Taking cue from the recent violence in Amravati and other parts of Maharastra as a repercussion of communal incident, it has become clear that some vested interest are trying to flare up the communal incident in Tripura," the state police was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The journalists, Samriddhi Sakunia and Swarna Jha, were booked under three sections of the Indian Penal Code – 120B (criminal conspiracy), 153 (provocation with intent to cause riot) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace). The FIR was lodged at the Fatikroy police station in Tripura.
They were detained after a complaint was filed by a supporter of the right-wing group Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).
Samriddhi tweeted, "We have been detained at the Nilambazar police station, Karimganj, Assam. We were informed by the officer in-charge of Nilambazar PS that SP of Gomti District gave the orders for our detention".
The journalists alleged that the cops came to their hotel early this morning and they were barred from leaving the hotel.
In a series of tweets earlier, Sakunia had tweeted: "I will be putting out a statement soon iterating all the intimidation I had to face while covering the #Tripura story soon. Meanwhile, we are seeking legal remedy. Ps. We aren't allowed to move outside from our hotel."
Amid huge protests in Maharashtra over the reported clashes in Tripura, the Union Home Ministry on Saturday said news circulating on social media about damage and vandalisation of a mosque in Tripura is fake and complete misrepresentation of facts.
It also said that there is no report of simple or grievous injury or rape or death of any person in any such incidents in Tripura as alleged in some social media posts.
