Guwahati: Kamrup (Metro) Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM)’s Court in Guwahati, granted bail to senior journalist Dilwar Hussain Mazumder on Wednesday.
However, Mazumder will remain in custody at the Panbazar police station for the night.
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Mazumder, a reporter with The Cross Current, was detained by Panbazar police amid allegations related to his coverage of the Assam Cooperative Apex Bank corruption scam.
The police summoned the journalist on Tuesday to the Panbazar police station after the journalist interviewed the bank’s Managing Director, Dambaru Saikia, during a protest organized by the Jatiya Yuva Shakti group.
Senior advocates Shantanu Barthakur, Rahul Shenchwa, and AS Tapadar represented Mazumder in court and confirmed his bail.
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Despite the plea for five days’ remand in police custody, the police failed to present substantial evidence to support the charges, and the court deemed the prosecution’s arguments inadequate.
Subsequently, the Chief Judicial Magistrate granted bail to Mazumder, in Case No. 110/25, filed under Section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 3(1)(r) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (Amendment 2015).
The case reportedly stemmed from an FIR lodged by Sishupal Boro, a permanent security guard at The Assam Co-operative Apex Bank Ltd., at the Panbazar Police Station, though specifics remained unclear.
While the protest focused on corruption allegations, the charges against Mazumder were unrelated.
The arrest sparked outrage among journalists across Assam, leading to protests that began Tuesday and continued till Wednesday evening.
The protests escalated when a confrontation occurred between the police and demonstrators.
Journalists also gathered outside the Guwahati Press Club and the courthouse, with the journalist fraternity condemning the detention as an attack on press freedom.
The Guwahati Press Club, where Mazumder serves as assistant general secretary, led calls for his release, labeling the arrest “deeply concerning.”
In addition, the Press Club of India (PCI) condemned the arrest, citing concerns about press freedom and the treatment of journalists.
The court’s bail ruling celebrates a victory for journalistic rights, as many assert that the lack of evidence exposed the detention as unfounded.
Protests subsided following the court’s decision, but discussions about press freedom in Assam remain heated.