Bogged down by poor performance of the city police in the July 9 molestation case, the Assam government Monday transferred senior superintendent of police Apurba Jeevan Baruah. He was replaced by Dibrugarh district SP Arbinda Kalita. Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi had set a deadline of 48 hours to arrest the culprit, which ended Monday.
Meanwhile, the police will soon question TV journalist Gaurav Jyoti Neog and the cameraperson of the Guwahati-based news channel who had videographed the molestation. This was conveyed to the Centre by the Assam government, which also promised complete overhaul of the Guwahati city police.
Sources said the state government has told the home ministry that the police was suspecting that the journalist might have orchestrated the molestation by instigating the mob as prime accused Amar Jyoti Kalita, who is absconding, was reported to be his friend.
The Assam police will soon question a journalist and a cameraperson of a Guwahati-based news channel who had video-graphed the molestation of a girl. This was conveyed to the Centre by Assam government which also promised complete overhaul of the Guwahati police, receiving flak for alleged delay in taking action to stop crime and in arresting culprits.
Sources said the state government has told the home ministry that the police was suspecting that TV journalist Gaurav Jyoti Neog might have orchestrated the molestation of the girl by instigating the mob as the prime accused Amar Jyoti Kalita, who is absconding, was reported to be his friend.
Speaking to media, Mr Gogoi on Monday said the role of a news channel journalist, accused by RTI activist Akhil Gogoi of instigating the assault outside a city pub, was unethical. Mr Gogoi said, “This was a case of unethical journalism. It is all right to film the incident as a part of his professional duty but as a part of his social responsibility the journalist should have informed the police.”
Meanwhile, the police on Monday arrested another accused in the molestation of a girl outside a pub here taking the number of those apprehended in the case to eight. The police also claimed that the prime accused Amarjyoti Kalita has fled to Orissa and is hiding in Puri.