By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: In a span of one month, 2 Journalists of Odia Daily, The Samad, its TV channel, Kanak News, have been attacked by Police in Keonjhar and Forest officials in Puri but media baron and ruling BJD MLA, Soumiya Ranjan Patnaik, who runs these two leading media houses keeping mum while his Reports and Correspondents facing the wrath of Police and Forest Officials managed by the Naveen Patnaik led BJD Government.
On World Press Freedom Day on Sunday, Kanak News Correspondent and Camera person have been attacked and manhandled by the Forest officials near Balukhand-Konark Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha’s Puri district.
Sources said, both reporter and camera man of Patnaik owned Kanak News, had gone near the sanctuary for documenting a report related to cyclone FANI, which had hit the coastal district exactly a year ago. Two Forest guards were reportedly consuming liquor at the spot when the journalist duo reached. One of the Forest guards later manhandled the journalists besides trying to snatch away the camera, during which it broke.
A complaint in this regard has been lodged at the Penthakata Marine police station. The Forest guard’s act drew sharp criticism as persons from various quarters condemned it.Few weeks back, Sambad’s Keonjhar correspondent was brutally assaulted by the local police while he was on his way to hospital for treatment of his ailing son. “In these two cases, Soumiya Ranjan Patnaik kept silent and if he was not with BJD, things would have different,” added a senior Journalist in Bhubaneswar.
