Editor's Guild shocked over media employees' murder in Tripura

The Editor's Guild of India Monday expressed in "shock and deep anguish" over stabbing to death of three employees of the newspaper Ganadoot Patrika in Agartala, Tripura.

"That manager of the newspaper Ranjit Chowdhury, proof reader Sunil Bhattarcharjee and driver Balaram Ghosh died at the hands of suspected contract killers in broad daylight on Sunday, shows that the law and order in the state of Tripura has all but collapsed," a statement from the Editor's Guild said.

"This is not only an attack on the freedom of the press, but the inability of the police to show any progress in the investigation, shows inefficiency of the police administration," it said.

The Guild called on the Tripura chief minister to order a thorough probe into the killings and provide adequate protection to the staff of the newspaper.

"The media in the northeastern states is coming under increasing threats from insurgents and contract killers and as such, reporting from conflict-zones is becoming difficult as reporters have to put their lives at risk," the statement added.

Three employees of a local Bengali daily were stabbed to death inside its office by two unidentified assailants in Agartala Sunday.