National Human Rights Commission takes cognisance of Assam journalist’s detention

The National Human Rights Commission on Thursday took suo moto cognisance of the detention of journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder in Assam after he covered a protest against a bank – which is linked to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma – over alleged financial irregularities.

The human rights body said if Mozumder’s reporting was accurate, his detention was a potential violation of human rights. The commission said it had issued notice to Assam’s director general of police and the state government, seeking a detailed report in four weeks. It also noted that no reason was provided for Mozumder’s detention.

Mozumder, who works with digital news outlet The CrossCurrent, was arrested on March 25 after he sought to ask questions to Dombaru Saikia, the managing director of the Assam Co-operative Apex Bank, regarding alleged financial irregularities. Earlier that day, the Jatiya Yuva Shakti, the youth wing of the Assam Jatiya Parishad, had held a protest against the alleged irregularities.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is a director of the Assam Cooperative Apex Bank and Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Biswajit Phukan is its chairman.

First, Mozumder was arrested on charges of criminal intimidation in a case filed by a security guard at the bank, as well as under provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act. He...

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