NEW DELHI, SEPT. 21: 

We are shocked to learn about the brutal murder of a young television journalist Santanu Bhowmik near Agartala in Tripura on Wednesday.

We strongly condemn the murderous assault on Santanu Bhowmik, 27, allegedly by the members of the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT). According to news reports, the journalist was attacked with sharp cutting weapons while covering a road blockade agitation of the IPFT. 

Santanu Bhowmik's life was taken away by mindless violence when he was discharging his professional journalistic duties. It is a reckless, inhuman act to silence the voice of the free press in the country and an assault on the freedom of press. 

We demand an impartial and swift probe into the murder of the young Tripura journalist so that culprits can be booked and brought to justice. We also express our solidarity and support to the Tripura Journalists' Union in their protest against the murder. We demand that the State Government should give adequate compensation to the family of the young journalist whose life was sniffed out in the line of duty. The Chief Minister should immediately hold consultations with the Agartala Press Club and Tripura Journalists' Union for taking steps for safety and security of the journalists. 

A  condolence and protest meeting will be held at the Press Club of India on Friday, Sept. 22 i the afternoon.  

(Gautam Lahiri)
President, Press Club of India

(Vinay Kumar)
Secretary-General, Press Club of India

(Aditi Tandon)
General Secretary, Indian Women's Press Corps

(Jaishankar Gupta)
President, Press Association 

(Utpal Borpujari)
President, North-East Media Forum
Federation of Press Clubs in India