Guwahati: Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court on Friday granted bail to Senior journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder in the second case filed against him.
However, due to procedural delays, Mozumder will remain in judicial custody overnight at Guwahati Central Jail, with his release anticipated tomorrow, Saturday, March 29.
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Police rearrested Mozumder on Thursday after the bank’s Managing Director, D. Saikia filed an FIR.
The FIR alleges that Mozumder entered the first floor of the bank’s head office in Panbazar on March 25 around 12:30 pm and attempted to steal crucial documents.
At the time, he was covering a protest demonstration against alleged corruption in the bank.
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Initially, Pan Bazar Police arrested Mozumder on March 25 on the charge of insulting a Boro staff of the Assam Co-operative Apex Bank among other charges.
Kamrup Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court granted bail on March 26 in the first case and released from jail on March 27.
However, just as his release, police rearrested Mozumder on Thursday evening, March 27, in connection with a second case.
Mozumder’s lawyer argued that the second arrest was a clear attempt to harass and intimidate the journalist, who had been reporting on sensitive issues.
Earlier, the Assam Civil Society and the Assam Film Fraternity issued separate statements demanding Mozumder’s unconditional release, as he was rearrested despite securing bail in another case.
The Assam Civil Society condemned the re-arrest as a “direct attack on the media and freedom of speech” and warned the government against suppressing press freedom.
The organization also expressed solidarity with journalists facing state action and called for a high-level investigation into the alleged corruption at Apex Bank.
The Film Fraternity of Assam echoed similar concerns, calling the back-to-back arrests “unfortunate for both the media and the democratic system.”