Arunachal media fraternity condemns killing of journalist in Bihar

Shocked by the gruesome murder of Dainik Bhaskar journalist Dharmendra Kumar Singh by unidentified assailants at Amra in Bihar on Saturday, the press fraternity of Arunachal Pradesh has condemned the incident in the strongest terms and urged the Bihar government to deliver justice to aggrieved family at the earliest.

Singh, who was working with a prominent Hindi newspaper, was gunned down by unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants on Saturday morning, making it the second murder of a journalist in the state in the past six months.

In a joint statement issued on Sunday, the Arunachal Press Club (APC), Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) and Arunachal Electronic Media Association (AEMA) expressed deep shock at the killing of Singh who had taken on the powerful local mafias in many occasions through his writings.

The fraternity termed the murder as a cowardly attempt to muzzle down the freedom of speech.

The media fraternity urged the Bihar government to come up with a mechanism to protect scribes in the state so that crusaders of freedom of speech are not cowed down.

"The murder of journalist reflects the law and order situation of a state, it is duty the duty of welfare government of Bihar to protect the press fraternity and ensure safety of all scribes in the state" the press bodies stated in their statement.

It further added that perpetrators should be brought to justice and award exemplary punishment, so that it sends message across.

Expressing solidarity with media fraternity in Bihar as well as with aggrieved family, APC, APUWJ and AEMA stated that courageous and fierce writings of late Dharmendra Kumar Singh will embolden and inspired working journalists across the India. The fraternity further prayed almighty god for eternal peace of departed soul.