Tripura violence: 2 Delhi-based women journalists booked, detained in Assam

Two women journalists reporting on recent instances of alleged religious vandalism in Tripura were detained by the Assam Police at Nilambazaar in Karimganj district of Assam, close to the Tripura-Assam boundary, on Sunday.

Earlier, a case was registered against the two journalists reporting on recent instances of alleged religious vandalism in Tripura under sections relating to spreading communal disharmony, committing insult with intent of provoking breach of peace and criminal conspiracy.

The FIR against Samriddhi K Sakunia and Swarna Jha was filed after a complaint by local Vishva Hindu Parishad activists. Both have been now been asked to appear before the police at Fatikroy police station in Tripura's Unakoti district on November 21.

21-year-old Samriddhi Sakunia and 25-year-old Swarna Jha are Delhi-based reporters with HW News, an independent news website.

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Samriddhi posted the copies of the FIR on Twitter on Sunday morning and wrote that the police arrived at their hotel around 10.30 pm and served the FIR copy in the morning at 5.30 when they were supposed to leave for Agartala.

Swarna too posted the FIR copies on her Twitter timeline and corroborated her colleague's version.

In a video posted by news outlet Article 14, Samriddhi recounted the events of Saturday night. She spoke about how they thought the police had been posted at the hotel for their security since the local police had accompanied them all throughout their reporting assignment. She also recalled how they had got a call from the police state earlier in the evening asking for their transportation and Aadhaar details.