Four days after the house of Scroll.in contributor Malini Subramaniam was attacked in Chhattisgarh's Jagdalpur city, the newly formed group Samajik Ekta Manch organised a sit-in demonstration against what it claimed were false charges against it. The group also demanded the arrest of those making such allegations.
The group said that Subramaniam was confounded by a "democratic protest" it had organised against Naxalism in the region, adding that the journalist then made false accusations of hooliganism against its members. Members of the group had warned Subramaniam against writing articles that tarnished the image of the police and later threw stones at her house.
The Chhattisgarh police filed a First Information Report two days after the attack on Subramaniam's house. They had earlier refused to take action, but were compelled to do so after several reports of the attack appeared in local and national media.
Subramaniam's lawyer, however, said that the FIR that was eventually filed failed to take into account a number of crucial details including attempts at intimidating Subramaniam over the month leading up to the attack. The Editor's Guild of India, among other organisations, called for the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister to intervene in the matter. So far, however, both the Centre as well as the Chhattisgarh government have been silent on the issue.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!