Assam journalist tied to a pole, beaten in Kamrup district's Mirza; one arrested

Days after Assamese journalist Parag Bhuyan was run over near his home in Tinsukia district, videos and images have emerged of another journalist being attacked by a group of men in Assam’s Kamrup district. Milan Mahanta, a 42-year-old reporter with Assamese daily Asomiya Pratidin, was reportedly attacked on Sunday in Mirza, which is around 40 kilometres west of Guwahati. Mahanta was attacked purportedly for reporting on gambling activities. “In the videos, as Mahanta stops by a roadside shop a group of men come rushing out and surround him. He is then tied up to a nearby pole and beaten,”  NDTV reported. According to the report, the men can also be heard claiming that Mahanta had demanded money from them. However, this allegation has been denied by his colleagues. “They tied me to a post. They told me that they would see who comes to rescue me,” Mahanta said, according to an  Indian Express report. In an interview with The Print, Mahanta said that the “local goons” were very angry at him for writing about their “illegal activities”, which he alleged included land-grabbing and gambling. As per the report,  one of the assailants involved in the attack has been arrested while the others are on the run. Mahanta, who was rescued by locals, reportedly suffered injuries to his neck, head, and ears. Following the attack on  Mahanta, several journalists in Kamrup have staged protests and demanded that the authorities take strict action against the assailants and do more to protect journalists.