Maha: 140 incidents of attack on scribes in 6 months, says PCI

As many as 140 incidents of attack on journalists have taken place in Maharashtra till June this year, the Press Council of India (PCI) said today.
"According to data collected by the PCI, there were as many as 140 incidents of attacks, including attempt to murder in Maharashtra till June this year," PCI member Anil Agrawal told reporters here.
"The number of attacks on journalists is shocking," he said, alleging that Maharashtra government has shown a "lackadasical attitude" towards enacting a law to protect journalists.
"Due to the political conflicts, the law is not being enacted in Maharashtra," Agrawal said.

He said that according to the information collected from the Maharashtra Director General of Police office only 13 incidents have taken place in Maharashtra so far this year.
As per the DGP office data, while in 2011, 35 incidents took place, in 2012, 16 similar cases happened. In 2013, till June 13 attacks have taken place, Agrawal said.

"We met Governor K Sankaranarayanan, who assured us that he will write to Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to take a decision on enacting a law to protect journalists at the earliest," he said.
The PCI member also said that the law should be on the lines of the one enacted and implemented in the neighbouring Madhya Pradesh.

PCI chairman Markandey Katju had appointed one-member committee of Anil Agrawal to investigate the acid attack on the reporter of 'Tarun Bharat' in Parbhani.